


Potter Pride - A Writing Challenge for the Month of June

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Spelling & Grammar, Battle of Hogwarts, Boys In Love, Cell Phones, Coming Out, Engagement, F/F, Family Feels, Family Fluff, First Dates, Gay Pride, Identity Swap, Love Confessions, M/M, Netflix and Chill, Not Beta Read, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Quidditch, Rainbows, Ravenclaw, Three Broomsticks, Trans Blaise Zabini
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 29,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24489595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: This is just a little writing Challenge I have set for myself to honor the Pride Month of 2020.I am going to put up 1 Drabble for every day in June 2020.All stories are centred around LGBTQ+ pairings in the Harry Potter fandom. I have already added some tags, but others will be included as I write them.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Cho Chang/Parvati Patil, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Filius Flitwick/Horace Slughorn, Lee Jordan/Fred Weasley, Lucius Malfoy/Severus Snape, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Rolanda Hooch/Minerva McGonagall, Ron Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 35
Kudos: 103
Collections: Pride 2020





	1. Facing The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> June 1st Prompt: Storm
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick Withering
> 
> June 1st: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - Facing A Storm  
> June 2nd: Ginny Weasley / Luna Lovegood - The Rainbow In Your Eyes  
> June 3rd: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - A Night At The Three Broomsticks  
> June 4th: Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy: Dick Pics  
> June 5th: Blaise Zabini (trans) / Ron Weasley - The Little Difference  
> June 6th: Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan - Maisie  
> June 7th: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - A Terrible Place  
> June 8th: Remus Lupin / Sirius Black - Paternoster  
> June 9th: Minerva McGonagall / Rolanda Hooch - Quidditch Tickets  
> June 10th - Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy - King's Cross  
> June 11th - Remus Lupin / Sirius Black - A Very Surprising Movie  
> June 12th - Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - The Dwarf And The Giant  
> June 13th - Severus Snape / Lucius Malfoy - A New Rallying Point  
> June 14th - Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - Meetings  
> June 15th - Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan - The Language Of Flowers  
> June 16th - Albus Dumbledore / Gellert Grindlewald - For The Greater Good Part 1  
> June 17th - Albus Dumbledore / Gellert Grindlewald - For The Greater Good Part 2  
> June 18th - Blaise Zabini (Geraldine) / Ron Weasley- Because Black Lives Matter - Part 1  
> June 19th - Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - The Photo  
> June 20th - Blaise Zabini (Geraldine) / Ron Weasley - Because Black Lives Matter - Part 2  
> June 21st - Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy - The Letter From Home  
> June 22nd - Lucius Malfoy / Severus Snape; Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick (and others) - The Pureblood Ball - Part 1  
> June 23rd - Lucius Malfoy / Severus Snape; Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick (and others) - The Pureblood Ball - Part 2  
> June 24th - Lucius Malfoy / Severus Snape, Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick (and others) - The Pureblood Ball - Part 3  
> June 25th - Sirius Black / Remus Lupin - A Cure For Sadness  
> June 26th - Dean Thomas / Seasmus Finnigan - Tonight I Hate You  
> June 27th - Minerva McGonagall / Rolanda Hooch - Cleaning The Pigsty  
> June 28th - George Weasley / Angelina Johnson; Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan; Blaise Zabini (Geraldine) / Ron Weasley - More Than Just A Party  
> June 29th - Parvati Patil (pretending to be Padma) / Cho Chang - Coffee Shop  
> July 1st - Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick - The Wedding Day

Facing The Storm

Horace Slughorn had never been a brave man. As a matter of fact, he often even thought of himself as a coward: 

He had been on the run from the Death Eaters for months and had thereby perfected the art of turning himself into an armchair. 

He had refused to give an important memory to Albus and his Phoenix Order, simply out of fear of being judged. 

He had reached his considerable age without ever coming out of the closet, although he had often been asked why he wasn't married. 

But such a dreadful sight as he was seeing now had never been offered to him before.   
Voldemort and his faithful army were about to break through their defenses. 

Only a fool would assume that Hogwarts would be able to wither this storm out - and he wasn't one.

He was afraid, as anyone should be.  
This was the Dark Lord out there, the most powerful dark wizard of all times. 

"Horace," he heard a voice speaking behind him and turned around. Anything was better than the sight outside. His gaze fell on Ravenclaw's tiny house teacher, Filius Flitwick. 

"Filius," he replied, trying for some of his usual flair, "Going to stay and fight?" 

He had expected this to be a rather rhetorical question and had not really expected an answer, but he still got one, "Of course, I will do everything to keep this school and my students save." 

The little man amazed him. Filius was fearless and brave - and suddenly Horace did not wish to stand back any longer. He therefore hastened to agree, "Oh, me too. Me too. Anything for Hogwarts and Slytherin." 

Flitwick looked straight up at him and for a long moment their eyes found each other. Slughorn smiled. It was a rather awkward smile. 

"So," Flitwick asked after several seemingly endless seconds, "Any regrets, in case we do last the night?" 

Somehow, Slughorn could not bear to look at his colleague any longer. The suspenseful scene out in the grounds seemed suddenly much less terrifying than Flitwick's face. He still chose to answer truthfully, displaying a kind of bravery he had never shown in his life before, "Only that I have never kissed a man in my life." He believed that it didn't matter if he was honest now, because neither of them would be alive to remember it in the morning. 

At that moment, the first spells hit the protective shield the teachers had managed to cast around the school. The storm had begun and it caught all of Slughorn's attention at once. This was good because that way he missed the tell-tale expression that appeared on the other man's face for a moment.


	2. The Rainbow In Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny and her girlfriend Luna are relaxing in the grass, enjoying a peaceful afternoon and watching a rainbow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in Germany, so it's already the 2nd of June here. 
> 
> Time for the second story. 
> 
> Prompt: Rainbow 
> 
> Pairing: Ginny / Luna

The war was over at last. Voldy had gone moldy, as Peeves had once said - and the magical world could breathe again. A light summer rain was falling on the grounds of Hogwarts, the village and the surrounding mountains. A bright rainbow was visible in the sky. 

"What a wonderful symbol this is," said Luna Lovegood in her melodic, dreamy voice. "The rain represents the tears we cry for the fallen. The sun is the sign of a new and brighter tomorrow and the rainbow shows the path that leads out of the darkness." 

The fair girl smiled, but if her smile was directed at Ginny or just the result of an inner monologue she was leading was impossible to tell. It didn't matter. The fact that Ginny loved this smile would never change. 

Ginny took off her shoes and lay down in the grass, very close to her girlfriend. "The rainbow gets reflected in your eyes when you look at me that way. Is it because you are my hope for a better tomorrow?" she asked in a very flirtive tone. 

Luna shifted her position, until her head was resting against Ginny's shoulder. "And you are mine," she replied, equally flirtive. For a while the two young women simply smiled at each other and Ginny felt as though she was drowning in the light blue ocean of Luna's gaze. 

Then, it was hard to tell who had initiated it, they closed the last few inches and started to kiss each other tenderly. "I love you, my Luna, my rainbow girl," Ginny whispered into the kiss. It was the first time either of them had used the three magical words and both were suddenly aware of their hearts beating a lot faster.


	3. A Night At The Three Broomsticks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horace Slughorn and Filius Flitwick spend a surprisingly romantic evening at the Three Broomsticks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 3rd Prompt: First Date
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick

Horace Slughorn was nervous, even though he could not understand why. He would spend the evening at the Three Broomsticks with one of his colleagues, which he usually enjoyed doing. He and the old pub had a history that dated back—well, further than he would like to admit. He had already frequented it at a time when Madam Rosmerta’s grandmother, Madam Morgana, was the landlady. So, there really was no reason why he should be nervous. Except, that the fact remained—the fact that this colleague had crept into his dreams alarmingly often since the end of the war. 

He had put on his finest tweed and now stood waiting for his colleague in the Entrance Hall. It was so unlike him not to know what to do with his hands or whether to smile or not, but right now he could focus on nothing but his quickly beating heart. Then, finally, he noticed the other man descending the stair which led up to Ravenclaw tower. “Ah, Filius, my good fellow,” he greeted the other teacher, secretly pleased to find that his suave manners had not entirely deserted him. His colleague had also put on one of his best suits. 

“Horace,” Filius nodded, “I am sorry, I have kept you waiting. There was a slight commotion in my house I had to tend to. Thank you for waiting.” 

“Ah, not at all, my dear friend. I know how this is. Students get out of control sometimes,” Horace replied, with a genuine smile on his face. He had never particularly craved the position as Slytherin’s house teacher, but now that he held it, he found he enjoyed it, “Shall we get going, then? I must say I am looking forward to some of Rosmerta’s fine mulled mead.”

Filius looked up at him with a disgusted expression on his face, “Mulled Mead? In this heat? Not for me, thanks. I like me some cherry syrup and soda on ice.” It was indeed very warm for the middle of September. 

Horace smiled back at the little man at his side, “You know, that’s actually a fair point. I think I will join you in one of those.” They both smiled at each other—and for a short time an amicable silence fell between them. 

“So, how is Slytherin coping with the aftermath of the war?” Filius asked with sincere interest, “I can imagine that it must be hard for them to be back at Hogwarts, particularly for those whose parents and other relatives fought with Voldemort against us.” There was no accusation in Filius’ voice, and Horace gave him a lot of credit for it. 

The topic of the war kept them talking all the way down to the village and into the pub, where they took their seats at Horace’s regular table and placed their order—two cherry syrup with soda on ice—with Madam Rosmerta. After that, their talk turned to the politics Minister Shacklebolt’s new government was making—and from there to more personal matters. 

They kept smiling at each other far more often than was strictly necessary for two people, who were nothing but colleagues and once, when Horace set his glass back down on the table, his hand brushed lightly against Filius’ hand. He did not draw back. 

The two men barely noticed the pub emptying around them, as they were so deep in conversation. Horace found Filius to be a very charming man to talk to, extremely witty and thoughtful. Just briefly, his mind drifted to the hourglass in his office whose speed indicated how much he enjoyed himself. He had the feeling that the sand in this hourglass would not have moved at all that night. 

“I really enjoy your company tonight. Very much so.” Filius said after a long time, in which they had done nothing but look at each other tenderly. There was something in the air that night and both men clearly felt it. Madam Rosmerta, however, did apparently not feel it. She had her closing hours and once curfew was reached, she ushered them out of her pub rather unceremoniously. 

On their way back to school the two men walked very slowly, because neither of them wanted the evening to end. They talked and laughed animatedly together, until they were finally back in the Entrance Hall. “Well, goodnight then, Horace,” Filius said, before he put a Levitation Charm on himself, so he could give his friend a hug, “It was a wonderful night. I haven’t had this much fun with a man in donkey years.” 

It took him all the courage he could raise, but before he put Filius down on the ground Horace placed a chaste kiss on the man’s lips. It was the first time he had ever kissed a man and he found he enjoyed it just as much as he had always imagined. “I have had a great night as well. I cannot wait to repeat it.” 

“How about tomorrow night, if you are not doing anything?” Filius replied—and Horace felt his heart skip a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually like these two and would like to explore them more over the following days and weeks (On alternating days. On the other days, I'd write for other pairings.) 
> 
> What do you all think about that?


	4. Dick Pics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry Potter receives a dick pic from an unknown number.  
> It turns out to be Draco's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 Prompt: AU 
> 
> This is the first time I have ever written Drarry. How did you like it?

Harry was back in Little Whinging for the summer before his sixth year. He was laying on his bed, chilling while he watched Netflix on his new laptop. His phone was laying next to him, because Hermione had just sent him some information for their Transfiguration homework on What's App. 

A first look had told him that this would be a pretty complex assignment, so he preferred to procrastinate for now. They still had several weeks left before they were due to return to Hogwarts, so there was no particular hurry. He wanted a good job on it for McGonagall, who was one of his favorite teachers. 

He had just started another episode of his 'The Witcher'-binge-watching-marathon, when his phone lit up again. Thinking that either Hermione must have sent some more pics of texts from books or that Ron wanted to know when he'd come over to the Burrow, he took a look. 

It was - a dick pic. From an unknown number. Uh, gross. Well, it was actually a nice dick. Perfect form and seize. But still, who on earth would send him an uncalled-for dick pic without an additional message? 

His curiosity now awoken, he decided to write back. 

\- 'Hey, who is this and why are you sending me dick pics?' 

He did not really expect a reply, but a short while later there was a new message. 

\- 'Hey, sorry, is this not Pansy Parkinson's phone? This is Draco Malfoy.'

This was Draco's dick that he now had saved on his phone? Oh goodness, he needed to tell Ron about this. This situation was hilarious and he found himself bursting into laughter. He wrote back.

\- 'Nope, this isn't Pansy Parkinson. It's Harry Potter'. 

He could imagine how Draco was feeling now, and clearly pictured the blonde boy wishing that the ground would open up to swallow him. He found that his expectations were met.

\- 'Aaaah Potter, delete that pic immediately. Delete it, I say!'

Grinning, Harry typed back. 

\- 'You know, I actually don't think I will. It's a nice dick, to tell you the truth. Would look good in my hand.' 

This time, the reply took a bit longer. Harry was already starting to think that Draco's dad would now be hearing about it - when he received a second picture. It showed a very embarrassed looking, slightly flushed Draco in his pyjamas. It was a strangely cute picture. Draco had also added a short message to it. 

\- 'It's just my parents who want me to get with Pansy, you know. I don't even like girls that way.' 

Harry had forgotten that his Netflix was still playing. He was staring at his phone, transfixed. After all, he had never thought it possible that... He felt his heart beat much faster and, following a sudden instinct, took a picture of his own flushed face for Draco. 

\- 'I don't like girls that way either.' 

The next message came prompt. 

\- 'You are cute.'

Just three words who made this evening so much better and more interesting than he had ever imagined. He wrote back. 

\- 'You too. 😍'

From that moment on, messages were flying fast between them. Harry was greatly enjoying their flirt. He would never have thought it possible that he could be having this much fun or feel so happy with Draco Malfoy. At one point, he even took a dick pic to send to the other boy. 

\- 'Harry, I... I know it sounds crazy because we are who we are... the Boy Who Lived and the son of a Death Eater... but I honestly want to be your boyfriend.' 

Draco wrote this message at around two p.m. when they were both starting to feel sleepy, but this didn't stop Harry from being beside himself with joy. 

\- 'Then I believe that we are together now. 😍 I wish you were here, so I could hold you in my arms.'

This time, his phone actually rang. His new boyfriend was trying to start a Video Call. 

"Hey cutie, I just wanted to say good night and send you a kiss. It's much easier this way." 

Because neither of them wanted to be the first to end the call, they kept talking for another thirty minutes - until the battery on Harry's phone died. He fell asleep soon afterwards and in his dreams he saw Draco's smiling face again. 

When he woke some time around noon that day and put his phone on the charger, it was to find a last text Draco had sent him before falling asleep. 

\- 'I just wanted you to know how happy you make me and that I cannot wait to talk to you again in the morning and to see you in September. Love, Draco.'


	5. The Little Difference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron meets a breathtakingly beautiful woman at a club.  
> But is she really a woman?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 5 Prompt: Identity Shenangians
> 
> Pairing: Ron Weasley / Blaise Zabini (trans character)
> 
> Mild Trigger warning for swearing

After five years of marriage, Ron Weasley was finally free again. It simply had not worked out with Mione and they had constantly been arguing. Even the kids had suffered.  
Now, his ex-wife and their two children were living with his brother Charlie in Romania - and he was a free agent again. He found that he did not regret it. In fact, he found that he rather enjoyed his new life. 

It gave him much more time to do the things he enjoyed and, at twenty-five, he was still young enough to start something new if he wanted to.

Right now, he was waiting for his brother George. As the they were the only two Weasley brothers who were not in a standing relationship, they had somehow slipped into the habit of occasionally going out for a butterbeer together. Ron also often served as George's wingman when he was trying to pick up a hot girl for the night. 

A loud 'crack' betrayed the fact that his brother had just aparated on the corridor outside of Ron's apartment and soon afterwards they were on their way into town. "Tonight, I am going to be YOUR wingman," George told him while they walked along a busy street, "It's time you get back into the game, little bro." 

Ron made a throwaway gesture. "Ah, don't worry about me. Tell me, how are Fred and Lee and little Maisie? She should be two weeks old now, right?" 

George nodded and grinned, "Yes, she is. And I have never seen prouder or more loving parents, to be honest. But I guess that's no surprise... you know what a hard time they had to find a surrogate mother. They really wanted this baby." Of course Ron knew this. He was extremely happy for Fred and could barely wait to finally meet his little niece.

They kept talking about the baby, until they finally reached the club they had been headed for. It was a Muggle club, but that didn't matter - if anything, it made things even better. Muggle girls were easier to impress with one of the tricks Fred and George had once given him for his birthday. 

Twelve Fail-Save Ways To Charm Witches. These tricks also seemed to work on wizards, as Fred had once told him - not that that really mattered. Ron was definitely not interested in wizards. It was just an interesting side-note. 

It was defeaningly loud and incredibly crowded inside the club, so that they could barely understand what the other was saying, but Ron liked it that way. Conversation had never been his forte.

When he and George walked over to the bar to get themselves drinks, he spotted a beautiful black woman who leaned nonchalantly against the counter. She looked like a goddess compared to the women around her. Seemingly endless slender legs, a slim waist and beautiful black hair, a dress that almost wasn't one, high cheekbones and dark almond eyes—that woman was a true vision. When she noticed him looking at her, she took the straw that belonged to her drink between her lips and... he was blown away. His jeans had suddenly become so much tighter. He wanted this woman. 

There was no doubt at all in his mind that he would have to pay for her services - and that it probably wouldn't be cheap - but that wouldn't matter. He'd just... "That's on me tonight, bro," he heard George say behind him, loud enough even above the noise, "Said I'd be your wingman." Ron grinned at his brother and gave him the thumbs up, before he walked over to the beautiful woman. “Hey baby, did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Because you are an angel, and now you have come down to earth,” Ron told the beauty, thinking himself incredibly smart because he had thought of such a good pick-up line. 

She actually laughed. It was a giggling and very girlish kind of laugh. It sounded fake, but Ron could not be bothered by this right now. He would pay her enough for it, anyway—or rather, George would pay her. Soon afterwards, they left the loud and stuffed club and made their way back to Ron’s apartment. The woman introduced herself as Geraldine and her rates were quite as impressive as her legs and everything else about her. George’s business at the joke shop must be going really well if he could treat him to this for a whole night. Ron, however, was determined to enjoy himself and with such a beautiful woman in his arms that turned out to be very easy. 

They shared half a bottle of Whiskey—a thoroughly non-magical type, not one of Ogden’s Old Firewhiskey, because he did not want her to become suspicious—and soon started to make out. That woman could do things with her tongue and fingers that had Ron screaming in no time. Merlin, she was really worth her money! 

As their passionate game slowly reached its climax, Ron started to undress Geraldine. He could not wait to feel, to touch every inch of that wonderful body. He was hard as a rock and could not wait to take her. He was so caught up in his desired that he did not even notice the adam’s apple, it was not very prominent after all, and it was not before he had her pinned down on the bed, moaning in passion, that he noticed that there was something—different about her. 

It was very off putting for him at first, and so he drew back immediately. “Hey, that’s not what we bargained for,” he snapped rather angrily, “you should have told me about that little extra before we started doing this, shouldn’t you? Get out of my bed now.” 

Geraldine sat up, but shook her head. “No, bought as seen. Also, you liked me when you first saw me. You thought I was beautiful. So what should be different now? I am still a woman, Ron Weasley, you fucking idiot. I am just still saving up, so I can get that surgery.” 

Ron was confused. Of course she was beautiful—very much so. Her eyes, her body, everything about her still took his breath completely away. But… “I… but… I mean… I am not gay. My brother is. But you are so beautiful and how do you know my name anyway? I didn’t say… Oh gosh, I am so confused.” 

She smiled at him. This smile alone was enough to make his knees weak, “We knew each other at Hogwarts, Ron. You just knew me by my dead name, then. I used to be Blaise Zabini, of Slytherin. My mother has since disowned me, which is why I need to do this job now—so I can get the money for the surgery. And don’t worry, it’s okay if you like me…” 

They continued to talk for a while, but soon Ron realised that the little difference really didn’t matter at all. Blaise—or rather, Geraldine—was really the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and on top of that she was smart and charming and… when they woke up the next morning, with Geraldine still in his arms, he knew that he had really fallen in love.

Without telling her about it, he made a decision. He would help her to get the money to have the surgery, so that she would not have to put herself in danger anymore. After all, one could never know what kind of men… no, he was determined to protect her and help her to start a new life if she wanted it. He did not dare to ask if she liked him as well, but—when she went, she told him that he would not have to pay for the night. So he took this as a hopeful sign.


	6. Maisie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and his partner Lee Jordan are having a baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 6th Prompt: Discovery  
> Pairing: Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan
> 
> Sorry, this is a really bad story. I am in a lot of pain today, so I could hardly focus. I just did not want to break my streak.

The life Fred and Lee had built together might have looked quite boring to some, but they were happy in it. They shared a small apartment in Soho—which they had admittedly only been able to get because of a well-aimed Confundus Charm—the joke shop was going well, and Lee loved his work at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He was presently still healer-in-training but hoped to specialize in mind-healing in future. Neither Fred nor Lee were enthusiastic party-goers and they preferred their quiet nights at home. Fred would not have traded this life for anything. 

And yet—and yet—something seemed to be missing. Something that would make their life complete and could serve as the cherry on their happiness. However, for a long time, they could not quite put a name on what it was that was missing—at least, not until Bill and Fleur asked them to babysit Victoire for a weekend. 

To his great surprise, Fred found that he enjoyed everything about the responsibility of babysitting. He loved to play with the baby, got her to eat and to sleep and was not even much bothered when his niece spit some of her spinach all over his new shirt. A simple Scourgify was enough to put that right again. Lee was also a great help and changed the baby’s diapers when he got home after his double-shift at the hospital—and suddenly Fred realized what it was that had been missing from his life. 

On Sunday evening, after baby Victoire had been returned to her parents, and he and his husband were cuddled together in bed, Fred put his newly discovered desire into words, “Lee, darling, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a baby of our own? I think it would really make our happiness complete.” From that day on, the dream of having their own daughter or son, a child they could love, became one of the driving forces of their lives. 

To their very great disappointment, however, they soon found that adoption would not be an option. Every adoption agency they spoke to agreed with them that they would indeed be able to offer excellent living conditions to a child—but they were also told, over and over again, that the chances for a gay couple to adopt a baby was very limited indeed. 

Fred’s despair at all the obstacles they were facing and Lee’s determination to make his husband’s dream come true grew in equal measure—until Lee’s job as a healer in training unexpectedly offered them what might probably be their last chance. 

A very young witch, who was still in her final year at Hogwarts, was expecting a baby from one of her classmates. The young couple did not want to keep the baby and considered giving it up for adoption as soon as it was born. When Lee, who had spoken to the mother-to-be in his position as a healer-in-training, learned about this, he found that he could not keep silent on the matter. “As much as I can relate to your situation,” he told them, “I still envy you. My husband and I would love to be able to have a baby of our own.” 

Following that first conversation, the two couples entered into close contact and soon the young mother agreed that she would love for her baby to be raised by Fred and Lee, who had so much more to offer with regard to financial and social stability than she could give to a child. She was also whole-heartedly convinced that the baby would be truly loved by its two dads. In return, Fred and Lee promised that they would support the mother and even her boyfriend financially for as long as they would need it—and, of course, also that the biological parents would be allowed to see their child at all times. Indeed, a kind of friendship had grown between the two different couples already and so everyone was happy to stay in touch. 

At long last, the due date for the birth had come and the mother was admitted to St. Mungo’s, where she delivered the baby within hours. Even though she had always said that she felt no connection to the baby she was expecting, the sadness in her eyes was obvious when she tenderly placed the baby in Fred’s arms. “And I really can visit her whenever I like?” she asked anxiously, just before she handed the girl over. Of course, Fred and Lee sincerely promised her this—and then, at last, at long last, they finally held their daughter in their arms. 

“Hello, little Maisie, welcome to the world. There is so much to discover here.” Fred whispered tenderly to the little one, while Lee first placed a kiss on his husband’s cheek—and then on Maisie’s. 

“I love you two so much,” he told his husband as well as his daughter and he really meant it.

Neither he nor Fred remembered when they had ever been happier—not even on the day of their marriage. This right here, these first moments with their daughter, were absolute perfection. Their was a new and sparkling bright future ahead of Maisie, and they could not wait to guide her along her path for as long as she would need it. 

The couple was jerked out of his daydreams, when an impatient voice spoke behind them, “Okay, you two have had her long enough. Now give her to me, so she can get to know her new favorite uncle.” 

Grinning, Fred turned around to face his twin, before he handed the baby over, “Well, okay then. Maisie say hi to your uncle George.” The remaining members of the Weasley family were now closing in around them as well, coming in from the corridor where they had been waiting. Smiling down on his daughter once more, Fred found himself thinking what a wonderful world it was that his daughter was setting out to discover.


	7. A Terrible Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horace and Filius are planning a trip to a very scary place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 7th Prompt: Underground
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick

Autumn passed into winter and Christmas was fast approaching. Snow fell on the old castle, the fields, the mountains, and the village. The beautiful sight put Horace Slughorn in a splendid mood, the full-bodied port and the crystallized pineapple took it just one step further—and the handsome man at his side was the cherry on top of all his happiness. They had never made a secret out of their relationship and every student in Hogwarts knew that the Heads of Slytherin and Ravenclaw house were in love. 

Sometimes, even Horace was surprised at the speed things were going between them—but on other days it just felt perfectly natural, as though it had always been meant to be. Both men knew that they had little in common, but somehow this did not matter. None of them expected the other to change or be what they were not, they simply accepted and loved each other just as they were and that, in their opinion, was the secret of their relationship. 

“I will have to go to London for some Christmas shopping this weekend,” Horace told his partner after a few moments of companionable silence, “Would you like to join me? We might meet up with a few people at the Leaky Cauldron afterwards, and I would love to introduce you. You know how I always say that it can never hurt to connect with the right people.” 

Filius’ dark eyes were full of warmth and tenderness, “Yes, I know. It is one of your most used phrases, darling. Of course, I would love to join you.” He cuddled up a bit closer to his partner’s soft belly, “It will be great to see the Queen Bee at work again. Also, I could do with your help in London as well. I have to pick up a few books from Flourish and Blotts, for this thesis paper I am working on, and…” 

“Let me guess,” Horace interrupted him laughingly, “You need me to carry all these heavy bags.” 

Filius laughed along with his partner, while he sat himself down on Horace’s lap, so that they could kiss each other more easily, “That is certainly part of the reason why I want you with me, yes. It is one of the perks of having a tall partner that you can always ask for help with your bags.” 

He made a short pause, which he used to place a kiss of Horace’s lips. “But that is not what I was going to say. I mean, I could always charm the bags to make them lighter and shrink in seize, but I will also have to visit Gringotts to get some Galleons out of my vault and I hate it there. I hope you know that I am not a coward, but this place terrifies me. I have never liked being underground and those awful Gringotts carts make me sick. So…” 

“So I am just glad that my brave partner, who fought so valiantly in the Battle of Hogwarts, is not perfect and knows some insecurities like everyone else,” Horace said, while he put another kiss on Filius’s lips, longer and more passionate this time, “Of course, I will come with you. It will be my pleasure.” 

As their mouths met again, both men parted their lips lightly to allow entrance to each other’s tongues and soon they were involved in a deep kiss. 

“Speaking about your pleasure,” Filius whispered into the kiss, “Why don’t you let me see if I can’t think of a few more things that will be?”


	8. Paternoster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern Day AU, where Remus Lupin is a history professor at the university of Frankfurt (Germany) and Sirius Black is his teaching assistant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 8th Prompt: Escalator  
> Pairing: Remus Lupin / Sirius Black
> 
> Please let me know if I should write some more Wolfstar.

Professor Remus Lupin did not usually have any difficulties using escalators. They were quick and very safe, especially in Germany, where they took maintenance even more seriously than in Great Britain. Paternosters, however, were a different matter. They were nasty, to say the least, and Remus was convinced that the sole reason why they these things had ever been invented was because the inventor hated humans and wanted to make as many of them suffer as possible. Who on earth would want to ride an open-fronted death trap that never stopped moving? But, oh well, he supposed that he had little choice. Using these monsters was by far the easiest way to get from one part of the library to the one above or below.

There was also the disadvantage of only one person at a time being allowed to ride in a paternoster cabin, so one usually had to queue and wait until an opportunity to get on arose. No. As much as he tried to figure it out, he simply did not see the point of paternosters—particularly not now, when he was late for the start of his seminar and his students were waiting. 

He could only hope that the next cabin going downwards would be fr— but no, there was already someone in there. A very attractive someone, as Remus had to admit. The guy’s muscle shirt emphasized his apparently steel-hard abdominal muscles nicely and those haughty facial features, wild black locks and dreamy dark eyes made him extremely nervous. As quickly as the vision had come, it was over when the man’s paternoster cabin moved on to the next floor, but these few seconds had been enough for Remus to make the decision that he wanted to see the guy again. Another two cabins went by, before Remus was able to get on the paternoster himself. 

Just about two minutes later, he entered his classroom where the group of PhD students he was supposed to teach this semester were already waiting. It was the first time he had to teach such an advanced class and it did not help to ease his nerves when he noticed how well all of them were dressed. Perhaps he had missed some secret dress code? After all, he was still new to Frankfurt and its university and could not claim to know all its secrets yet. He did, however, suddenly feel very shabby in his old tweed. 

While he walked to the front of the classroom, he also did not fail to notice another fact about his students, which caused his nervousness to rise even higher. He already knew one of them. Or rather, he did not exactly know him—but he had seen him, just moments before, riding past him in a paternoster cabin. Gods, how was he supposed to focus on his teaching with this Adonis of a man sitting right in front of him, his hair thrown back over his shoulder so nonchalantly as if… 

He needed to calm down. Focus on setting up his laptop, so he could start today’s presentation, pass around today’s handout and the attendance list… that sort of thing. Maybe start to interact with his students, too. Following a sudden decision, he asked “Would anybody be so kind as to help me to get this laptop started? Technology is not my strong forte, sadly. I am a historian, not an IT expert.” 

He chuckled and some of the students laughed with him, but only the handsome guy got to his feet and walked up to him, “Of course, I can help you with this,” he said in a lovely cockney accent that caused Remus to feel suddenly very aware of how hot it was in the room, “My name is Sirius Black and I will be your teaching assistant this semester.”


	9. Quidditch Tickets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rolanda Hooch is inviting Minerva McGonagall to a Quidditch match.  
> But what are her real intentions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 9th Prompt: Closet  
> Pairing: Minerva McGonagall / Rolanda Hooch

Minerva McGonagall had been stuck in the closet for so long, she found it hard to remember if there had ever been a way out. When she was younger, she had been in a relationship with a Muggle man she had known since childhood—but she had soon realized that a love like that would never make her happy. Her heart could just not be in it as there always seemed to be something else she desired, and so they had broken up again. 

In later years, she had found that she enjoyed the odd flirt with women when a situation presented itself, but these encounters had never gone far below the surface, and so—over time—she had managed to convince herself that she was simply incapable of experiencing romantic love. It was also not something she missed. Hogwarts, Gryffindor and her students had always been her first priority. She had no intentions to change anything about this. 

At least—she did not have any intentions to change anything about this - until there was a visitor knocking on her office door one Friday evening in late April. “Come in!” she called, wondering who it might be. She had not arranged to meet anyone, but since she had inherited Severus Snape’s position as headmistress, she had become accustomed to a more or less steady stream of visitors. 

This time, it was Madam Hooch—Hogwarts’ flying instructor and Quidditch referee—who entered. Minerva greeted her colleague with a wide smile, “Ah, Rolanda, my dear. Good to see you. What can I do for you tonight? Take a seat and have a biscuit.” 

Rolanda sat, but shook her head, “No, thanks, Minerva. I know how good your biscuits are, but right now I do not want any. Also, you cannot do anything for me at the moment—I am here because I feel like there is something I can do for you,” she smiled rather mysteriously, while she pulled something out of the robes of her pockets. “Quidditch tickets, for Scotland vs. the USA on Saturday,” she explained further, when she noticed the questioning expression on Minerva’s face, “A former student has just sent them and since there are two I thought you would like to come along.” 

There was now a genuine smile on Minerva’s face. She had been trying to get a ticket for that particular match but had obviously been much too late. The game had been sold out months before, “That is a generous offer, Rolanda. I would love to come along. I have always wanted to see the American Seaker Heather Reynolds play, heard that she is considered to be one of the best Seakers in the world, second only to Viktor Krum. But is there really nobody you would rather take in my place?” 

Rolanda shook her head and gave Minerva a warm smile out of those stunning yellow eyes, “Krum used to be good, before the war. But not anymore. He cannot hold a candle to Reynolds, plus—she is a real vision on her broom. You really need to see her live. Also, no there is nobody I would rather take. I love spending time with you, you know.” 

Minerva felt that she was blushing slightly, like a much younger woman might have done, and found herself hoping that Rolanda had not noticed the change in the dim light of the candles which stood on her desk, “Well, in that case… I would love to go with you. I am sure that we… um… will be able to spend a great weekend together. And seeing the match will be the cherry. If Reynolds is really as good as you say…” 

The women soon had a heated debate about their favorite sport going and only really noticed how much time had passed when Rolanda pointed out that the candle on the desk had almost burned down. 

“I guess it’s time for me to go,” Rolanda said ruefully, “But I guess that you will have to get up early tomorrow morning, headmistress Minerva.” She winked at her and Minerva smiled back at her friend. 

“Afraid so, Rolanda. Running this school never gets boring. But it is Thursday already, so at least we have got something to look forward to,” Minerva replied, while she got up to accompany her friend to the door. 

When they stopped by the door, Rolanda used that chance to say goodbye to Minerva, “You are right. Saturday will be here in no time at all, I am already excited. And if you ask me—it’s about time you come out of your closet for a bit—Your office, I mean! Your office, oh in Morgana’s name what was I thinking?” Rolanda pretended to have made an accidental blunder, but—Minerva thought as she looked after her visitor—had it really been one? Or had there been a different intention behind her friend’s words?


	10. King's Cross

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy decide to come out to Draco's parents and the Weasley's - not in a very discreet way, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 10th Prompt: Coming Out  
> Pairing: Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy

What had started with a dick pic that had accidentally been sent to the wrong number had quickly turned into something else - something beautiful, something deep. By the end of the summer, Harry and Draco were so enamoured that neither of them could sleep or eat properly anymore, because they constantly missed each other and their bellies were so full of butterflies. 

Harry had spent the last few weeks at the Burrow, where - to his surprise - Fred had seemed to be the only one to notice that something was different. "So, who is he?" he had asked him on the morning of their departure back to Hogwarts, while Harry was dreamily smiling at a picture Draco had sent him the night before. 

This was such an oddly precise question that, at first, Harry had not known what to say. "Wha- what did you just ask me? How- how do you-" 

But Fred had just grinned, "I am gay too, remember? I recognise a brother when I see him and seriously, Harry, I would have to be blind not notice your pining over whoever it is. I don't think that anybody else knows, though, and I won't tell them as long as you aren't ready." 

Harry blushed and thanked Merlin for his good fate when, at that precise moment, a shirtless Lee Jordan walked into the kitchen and distracted Fred. The couple was staying at the Burrow for a few weeks, while their new apartment in Soho got renovated. 

He watched them kissing each other passionately and found that he rather envied them. Why couldn't he just kiss his boyfriend like that? Sexting was fun, but it just wasn't enough. He wanted what Fred and Lee had. 

For a moment, he lost himself in fantasies of Draco's soft lips, his hands on his body... but was snapped out of his dreams when Mrs. Weasley joined them in the kitchen and adressed him right away, "Harry, dear! Have you finished packing your suitcase? We will be leaving in an hour." 

Oh, right. His suitcase. He had not even started packing - let alone finished. While he bolted up the stairs, he could hear Molly berating Fred and Lee that the kitchen was not the right place for sex. Obviously Lee had tried to free his partner from his shirt. He heard the laughing couple coming up the stairs behind him, just when he was about to close the door to his and Ron's bedroom.

Unlike Harry, Ron had already finished packing and was now sitting on his bed, obviously bored. "So, Harry, are you now going to tell me who you have been writing to all summer?" he asked, but Harry just shook his head. 

"No, but you will see soon enough. I am meeting them at King's Cross," Harry replied, while he threw all of his stuff pell-mell into the suitcase. He might have forgotten a few things, but he was confident that Mrs. Weasley would sent them on with the family owl. 

Before they left the house, Harry took one last look in the bathroom mirror and tried to make his hair lay flat. He was eventually forced to give it up as a bad job and, when Mrs. Weasley called him for the third time, hurried to catch up with the others. 

Mr. Weasley had been able to get them Ministry cars, including chauffeurs, which made the matter of getting to King's Cross with so many people, suitcases and pets a lot easier. Pigwidgeon really did not enjoy being in a cage and gave Ron a hard time. Harry would usually be sympathetic, but right now he was just too nervous - even though Fred and Lee, who had insisted on accompanying them once they had been 'done', tried to calm him down. 

"Everything will be okay, Harry - and if you feel like something is not, send us an owl. You know that phones don't work at Hogwarts, there's just too much magic," the couple told him one last time, just before Harry walked through the barrier which separated platform nine from platform ten. 

And then Draco was there. The weeks of waiting, of missing each other, were over at last. The boys barely laid eyes on each other, when they dropped their suitcases and raced towards each other, embracing each other tightly once they met. A few seconds later, their lips touched for the first time. It was still a very short and chaste kiss, but it made Harry feel certain that many more were still to come. 

"I have missed you so much," Draco told Harry tenderly, while they still were not able to let go of each other. 

"I have missed you, too," Harry replied, before they kissed again - a bit longer this time, but still shy and chaste.

"And what, exactly, is going on here?" That was Lucius Malfoy's cold drawl. Draco's father had walked over to them while they had kissed for the second time. Narcissa Malfoy had remained where she was, but her face clearly betrayed her anger. 

Draco, however, simply took a hold of Harry's hand, while he looked up to his father defiantly and said, in a voice that remarkably resemble that of Lucius, "May I introduce you to my boyfriend, Father?" 

Harry would have been prepared to make any bet that Lucius Malfoy was going to explode from anger at this news, but then the others were there. All the Weasley's were surrounding them and where, exactly, had Hermione come from? 

Neither of them left the slightest doubt that they, albeit clearly confused and possibly overwhelmed by the newest developments, would not stand by to watch Lucius give Harry and Draco any kind of trouble. Arthur's hand was already on his wand, ready to wipe it out at the slightest occasion. 

Lucius Malfoy obviously realised that he would have stood no chance against them all, and raised his hands to indicate that he was unarmed, "Let us all just stay calm. I will send you a letter about this, Draco." 

With these words, Lucius drew back to where his wife was still standing and Harry and his new boyfriend turned to face the Weasleys instead, who readily took Draco into their middle, while they showered both boys in hugs and questions. It was a moment that made Harry realise, once more, why this was his favorite family in the world. Only Ginny stood quietly by, a look of great disappointment on her face.


	11. A Very Surprising Movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muggle AU in which Sirius Black and Remus Lupin have a very romantic first date.  
> Set in the same universe as "Paternoster".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: The Movies  
> Pairing: Sirius Black / Remus Lupin

As the semester progressed, Remus found that he often felt lonely in Frankfurt. Contrary to popular believes, the Germans were not a very hospitable people and the fact that he did not speak the language did not help either. He missed England and could not wait to go back to it in summer. The highlight of his week were those hours he spent teaching his PhD students in the history of his native country—and the highlight of that was his very handsome teaching assistant, Sirius Black. Remus had a partner back home in Oxford, but James Potter was so far away, and Sirius was right there—he just needed to extend his hand to touch him. The problem was—while he tried everything he could to avoid getting into catchy situations—his assistant seemed determined to rope him in. 

When they entered November and the weather was getting colder, Remus found that it was becoming increasingly harder to resist. He missed James—but mostly he missed somebody he could cuddle up to on those stormy late-autumn nights, somebody to talk to and to keep him company, somebody who might be able to show him the city and make him feel less lonely. He still found the strength to resist Sirius’ dark eyes, his alluringly soft lips, his perfect muscles and his constant stream of invitations and flirting attempts—until something happened that changed everything.

One evening, James called Remus to confess that he had cheated on his partner with one of his colleagues at the university of Oxford, a disgusting little man called Peter Pettigrew. Of course, James had tried to apologize, had claimed that it had been a mistake, that they had been drunk—but Remus had not wanted to hear anything about it - and so, in the end, they had broken up. Remus was, understandably, devastated by this break up—but he also saw the upside of this situation. He did not need to resist his assistant’s advances anymore and, at the end of their next seminar, Remus caved in to one of Sirius’ countless pleas to go out with him. It would not be anything fancy, just some KFC and a movie, but Remus was still excited for it. 

He knew that he did not deserve a handsome guy like Sirius Black; was very much aware that he was older, less attractive, less fit, did not dress as well— that there was, in short, nothing he had to offer to such a stunning man. It appeared, however, that this did not matter. Sirius was just as nervous about their date as he was. 

When Remus got off the underground at the “Hauptwache”, just like Sirius had suggested, he found that his date was waiting for him with a bunch of flowers in his hands. Gods, Remus really couldn’t remember the last time a man had given him flowers. It almost caused him to melt into a puddle, and Sirius’ irresistible smile made his knees weak. “Good evening, Remus,” Sirius said, while he handed the flowers over, “Good to see you.” 

Remus returned the smile and accepted the flowers, while he replied, “It’s good to see you too, and thank you for those beautiful roses.” He would have liked to say more, but he feared that—if more words came out of his mouth now—it would just be awkward and embarrassing. ‘I need you to kiss me right now or I think I will go crazy because this is how much I need you’ were not exactly the ideal words to say five seconds into a first date. 

He followed Sirius up two escalators, until they reached the floor of the station were most shops, including the KFC, were situated. It was good that Sirius was fluent in both English and German, so he could place the order for both of them. Once they had received their meals, they took a seat at one of the tables—one that was set a bit off to one side, so that they would not be disturbed more than necessary. “The cinema we’ll be going to does a weekly display of English-speaking movies,” Sirius explained while they ate, “I thought that this would be easier for you to follow.” Remus really appreciated the consideration. 

From there, their conversation became increasingly more personal and Remus was literally hanging on Sirius’ perfect lips, while he told him all about his life in London, how he had been the first one in his family to attend university, how proud his parents had been… but, as far as Remus was concerned, Sirius might as well have read him the weather forecast from the newspaper. He would have been just as enthralled. Sirius also asked Remus questions about his life, which he answered. He even told his date about the recent break-up from his long-time boyfriend, as it was his wish to play with open cards right from the start. They had so much fun just sitting there, talking, and eating their food that they almost ran late for the start of their movie. 

Just as Sirius had promised, the show would be in English—but they had no idea yet what exactly the movie was going to be, as it seemed that this was what Sirius referred to as a ‘Sneak Preview’. A surprise display of a movies that had not officially been released to cinemas yet. It was preceded by a raffle, which made Remus chuckle. “Oh goodness! If I had known that we needn’t have hurried. I never win at raffles.” 

To their very great surprise, however, the raffle ticket Sirius had been given at the entrance was drawn and he won—two tickets for a special exhibition at the Schirn, Frankfurt’s famous art hall. “Looks like someone wants us to have a second date,” Sirius told Remus laughingly—and Remus smiled. He was most certainly up for a second date. And a third. And a fourth… 

Their fingers brushed lightly against each other when they both tried to grab some popcorn at the same time, and before the lights went out, they smiled tenderly at each other. What they got to see was a most adorably funny and sweet movie about the return of the world’s most famous nanny, Mary Poppins, but with every—supposedly—accidental touch they paid less and less attention to the proceedings on the screen. Sirius put his arm around Remus back, and Remus leaned his head against Sirius shoulder. They kissed, tentatively at first, then more and more passionately—until they decided they did not want to be in the cinema anymore but needed to go somewhere more private. 

“My apartment isn’t far from here,” Sirius told Remus, before roping him into yet another kiss just outside the cinema, “Why don’t you come with me, for some tea and some—dessert?” 

Sirius put an emphasis on that last word that left Remus in no doubt at all about the meaning behind the words, and although he was old enough to know better than to spend the night after a first date at an unknown apartment, he found that he could not resist this tempting offer. It had been too long since he had last felt this close to a man and he wanted it more than anything, needed it… needed to feel, to touch… and so he answered sincerely, “There is nothing I would rather do.” For a split-second, while they sank into their deepest and most passionate kiss yet, Remus thought that it was a pity that they had forgotten the roses at the cinema in their haste to get together. But really, it did not matter. For tonight, he had everything he wanted—everything he could ever had dreamed of.


	12. The Dwarf And The Giant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Filius tells Horace a fairytale - and Horace asks him an important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 12th Prompt: Fairytale  
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn/ Filius Flitwick

Over the months they had now been together, they had fallen into some kind of routine. They would spend the evenings sitting together, either engrossed in a good conversation or listening to music or grading tests or playing chess - an activity in which Horace stood no chance against Filius, but which he still enjoyed - and when they were tired, they would snuggle up together under their blanket. 

Filius would then read them a story from one of the many books he possessed. Those were mostly romances, oftentimes written by Muggles, and a surprising number of these books told stories about gay couples. Horace loved listening to them, and Filius really had a way of making the characters come to live while reading. 

That night, they had been reading a story about two male scientists on a research station in the Arctic, when Horace said lovingly, "You know, sweetheart, I am prepared to make every bet that you could write a fantastic book yourself if you only wanted to. I would then make sure that it is published by the right people and before anybody knew it I'd be the partner of the newest rising star of the literature scene." 

Filius chuckled and kissed him on the lips, to make him shut up. "Oh, Horace, you are incorrigible. I knew right from the start that you only wanted me as your newest trophy for the Slug Club, so you can show me off. You do not really love me, do you?" 

Horace seemed to be insulted by his partner's last question, "Of course, I love you. I have been the luckiest man on earth since we got together six months ago - and that is exactly why I want to show you off. There is so much you could do. You could be so much more than just a simple teacher if you would just learn how to use the network I have to offer." 

His partner kissed him again. "I am quite content with being just a simple teacher, thanks. It is all I have ever wanted. But I seriously appreciate what you are trying to do for me, honey. Nobody has ever cared for me like that before and I love you for it." 

They kept kissing each other for a while, before Filius spoke again. "You know, I believe I could make a nice story out of our love after all. It would be a fairytale and I am calling it 'The Dwarf and The Giant'. Do you want to hear it?" 

Horace got himself slightly more comfortable under his cover, then said, "I am hanging on to your every word, sweetheart. Let me hear it." 

After he had cuddled up to his partner again, so that he could use Horace's chest as a pillow, Filius began his tale. "Once upon a time, there was a magnificent castle. This castle was inhabited by many strange and often wondrous creatures - but the strangest and most wondrous of all creatures was the giant. 

"The giant was deeply learned in the subtle art potion making, but he also was a master of the puppets. He had a gift of making them move on the strings and bow to his every wish at the lightest pull. Everybody admired the giant for this skill and creatures of all sorts sought out his company, so they could bask in his glory. 

"Little did those who rallied around him know, however, that the giant also had a secret - and his secret was that he did not possess a heart. He had once possessed a heart, of course, he was not a cruel men, he had just been hurt badly many years ago - so badly, in fact, that he pulled his heart out of his chest with his own, strong hands, hid it in a cabinet and threw away the key. He had no desire to feel anymore, to love and to be potentially hurt. His puppets and his potions were all he needed, they could not hurt him.

"There also lived in this great castle a dwarf. Or rather - he wasn't a dwarf, he was a powerful wizard who was partially of goblin descend - but most people called him a dwarf, because of his small seize and because it was easier. The dwarf observed the giant for a while, and soon began to see beyond the vibrant surface. 

"What the dwarf saw there were kindness and warmth and passion and a wonderful sense of humour and a brilliant mind... and with every new thing he discovered, the dwarf found that he loved the giant more and more. Over time, it became his greatest ambition to rediscover the long lost key to the giant's heart and he started to look for it everywhere. He also began to ask the giant questions. They often talked for hours without end. It seemed, however, that nothing could get the dwarf closer to finding the key to the giant's heart.

"This only changed when a Dark Wizard, who did not live in the castle, threatened to attack and destroy all the creatures who dwelled there. The dwarf and the giant were forced to fight bravely side by side to defend their home and all those they cared for.

"It was then, in the thick of the battle, that the dwarf stumbled across a tiny copper key, which looked as if it had not been used in years. He was a smart man and so he recognised the key for what it was almost at once. This was the key to the cabinet which contained the giant's heart. 

"Once the Dark Wizard was defeated, the dwarf opened the cabinet and returned the heart to the giant, who put it back inside his chest. The giant's heart, however, recognised the dwarf as the one who had returned it to a chest where it could beat and live and love again. A strong bond was formed between the giant and the dwarf, and from that day on and they lived happily ever after." 

Slughorn had listened quietly to the story Filius had just told him, and now he smiled tenderly at his partner, "This was such a wonderful story, love. The giant really loves the dwarf. But you forget the best part of the fairytale - the one where the giant asks the dwarf if he wants to marry him." 

Filius laughed, "Oh, yes! The dwarf answers yes, and that will be an even happier ending." 

Horace pulled his partner into his arms and kissed him tenderly, "Do not call it an ending, Filius. Call it the start to an even more beautiful story." Then, after a long time of very tender cuddling he added, "I seriously mean it, though. Filius, do you want to marry me?" 

"Of course I do, you adorably stupid giant. I love you to bits," The rest of the night was lost in a passionate haze.


	13. A New Rallying Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus Snape regrets the disorder to which the dark side of the magical world has fallen. He discusses the matter with his partner, Lucius Malfoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 13th Prompt: Anniversary  
> Pairing: Severus Snape / Lucius Malfoy

The Dark Lord had fallen and the Magical world could breathe easy again - or so it appeared, on first sight. On second sight, however, it became very clear that peace was nothing but a quickly crumbling facade. 

Marauding gangs of former Snatchers and uprooted Death Eaters were everywhere, attacking Muggles and Mudbloods left, right and centre - without reason or plan. The country was about to fall into chaos. 

Severus Snape disliked chaos, he was a very organized and highly methodical man. One of the things he had always admired most about the Dark Lord was that there had been a method to Voldemort's madness. Every action had been carefully planned, before it was put into operation. 

This left Snape in no doubt of what needed to happen. The dark side needed a new rallying point, somebody who could organize all the destructive forces again and show them a new path to follow - and he knew exactly who that somebody should be. There was just one man who had the power and the charisma for this job. 

\---- 

Later that night, Snape apparated outside of Malfoy Manor in the shelter of darkness. Of course, Lucius had given him permission to apparate directly inside the manor, but Severus considered this to be impolite. He preferd to appear outside of his boyfriend's home. 

Severus and Lucius had never meant to end up together but, when first Narcissa had left and then Draco had informed his father that he was dating Harry Potter, Lucius had needed a friend to comfort him. From there, one thing had led to the next, and now they had a pretty serious relationship going. To his surprise, Snape had found that he was actually happy that way. Being with Lucius gave him a sense of satisfaction, acceptance and completeness he had never before hoped to experience. They loved each other with all their hearts.

He used the key Luc had given him to open the iron gates of the manor and strode along the path that led past the white peacocks and up to the entrance door, where his partner was waiting for him. In the past, the occasions in which a sincere smile had appeared on Lucius Malfoy's face had been rare indeed, but nowadays he often wore one when he looked at Severus. 

The two men greeted each other with a kiss. "When will you finally live with me, Sev?" Lucius asked, while he and Severus proceeded to the living room, "I miss you when you are not here."

"I know, Luc. I honestly miss you too - and I have finally managed to find a buyer for the house at Spinner's End, so it will not be long now," Severus replied, and he was glad to have such good news for his partner - considering the real intent he had for his visit here tonight. He really wanted to convince his partner of his cause. 

In the living room, Lucius filled two glasses of a particularly good Whiskey for himself and Severus, before they got themselves comfortable in two soft armchairs. "I am glad to hear that you have found a buyer for the house. It is about time," he said, before asking, "So, would you like to play a game of chess?"

Severus shook his head, "No, thank you. I do never stand a chance against you anyway - and I have something important to discuss with you." 

Lucius fixated Severus with his blue eyes, as though he was attempting to see right through him. "Are you using Occlumency against me, Severus? Because I have no idea what you are trying to say. You know that I do not like it if you are using Occlumency, I don't want there to be any secrets. But I am very interested to hear what is on your brilliant mind, as always."

While he allowed a small smile to play around his mouth, Severus nodded apologetically. "Yes, I am sorry. I know how you hate it. I just did not want you to use Legilimency on that matter. Not before I have had the time to explain my point of view properly," he took a sip from his Whiskey. 

After a few moments of consideration, he went on, "Luc, do you ever think that the dark side has been in a terrible disorder since the Dark Lord fell, exactly a year ago?" It was the evening of May 2nd 1999, the first anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. 

Lucius nodded. "That thought has indeed occurred to me. The present situation is simply unacceptable, and damaging to our cause. We need someone our side can rally around again, someone who can organise and direct our activities back on the right path - and I have actually thought that you would be the right man for the job. You are smart, methodical, charismatic - even I can not resist you," he said, ending his statement in an obvious attempt at flirting, "I would follow you everywhere." 

Severus actually chuckled and then smiled tenderly at his partner. "Funny how that is, Luc. I was just about to say the same about you, word for word. You should be the new rallying point for our side. I mean, the name Malfoy has always commanded a much higher respect than the name Snape and I, too, would follow you everywhere." 

Lucius got up from his own armchair and sat down on the armrest of Sev's, starting to stroke his partner's long, black hair. "Why don't we do it together, love?" he asked, "Our side could rally around both of us and, together, as the new Dark Couple, we could succeed where Voldemort alone has failed. But for the time being, if you would really follow me everywhere - why don't you follow me to the bedroom? I need to have you right now."


	14. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Filius and Horace inform the other Heads of Houses about their engagement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 14th Prompt: Proposal
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick

When Filius awoke in Horace’s arms on the morning after their engagement, he did not feel a desire to get up. He was usually an early riser and liked to check on his house before the students went down to breakfast, but today he wished he could just have stayed in bed with his fiancé all day. He could not remember when he had ever been this happy before. 

He heard Horace whisper, “Good morning, my future husband,” and turned around to place a tender kiss on his partner’s mouth. 

“Good morning, my future husband,” he replied, whispering the words into the kiss, “I just thought—I’d like to stay in bed with you today. Let us just skip classes, okay?” 

Horace laughed heartily. “I would never have thought I would live to hear something like that coming out of the mouth of a Ravenclaw. So, who are you and what did you do to my fiancé?” 

Filius joined Horace’s laughter, “Oh, shut up, you! It is just so comfortable and warm in your arms. But I guess—we cannot do this today. The headmistress wants a meeting with the Heads of Houses before the start of the first lesson. We might not even have time for breakfast.” 

He sat up in bed, while he heard his partner groan and mumble, “No breakfast, great. I am starving already.” Filius grinned to himself. This was just so typical for his partner—Horace was always hungry. 

The couple need not have worried, though. When they arrived at the headmistress’ office, they discovered that Minerva had arranged with the house-elves to send breakfast for herself and the four Heads of Houses up from the kitchens. Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff, and Septima Vektor, who had inherited Minerva’s position as Head of Gryffindor, were already there, when Filius knocked. 

“Ah Filius, Horace! Good of you to drop by. I was just about to start this meeting without you. Take your seats,” Minerva said, while the men muttered apologies. Filius felt reprimanded—it was usually not like him to be late for any kind of meetings. 

While the teachers helped themselves to coffee and buns, the headmistress introduced item number one on their agenda. It appeared that the magical schools of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had requested a repetition of the Triwizard Tournament now that the war was over. Before she agreed to it, however, she needed to know if her Head of Houses would support the decision.

The debate about this matter took them some time, but eventually they all agreed that Minerva should seek further discussion with Madame Maxime and the new headmaster of Durmstrang. Other items were decided more quickly—until Minerva said, “Now, this concludes the official part of our meeting here today. Does anyone else have anything else they would like to say?” 

Filius cleared his throat, “Yes indeed, headmistress. Horace and I have an announcement to make.” His wide smile was also reflected on his partner’s face, as he discovered when he looked at Horace for a split-second.  
“Oh?” Minerva asked, while Pomona and Septima displayed looks of great interest, “What is it?” 

This time, it was Horace who picked up the word from his partner, “Last night, I asked my partner to marry me—and he agreed. So, we are engaged now, and we would like to celebrate this engagement with a party—to which all of you are invited. The other teachers are welcome as well, of course.” 

Filius had not expected his fiancé to say anything about a party, because they had not discussed it in advance, but then again—it was no real surprise. Horace had always loved his parties and he was not even going to try to change that about him. 

The three witches—Minerva, Pomona and Septima—made sounds of joy. “Filius! Horace! Is that really true? Are you really going to get married? This is so wonderful!” 

Both men found themselves pulled into tight hugs by their female colleagues, who were simply over the moon by the news they had just been given, but eventually it was time for them all to leave for their respective classes. Everyone had of course promised to come to party.

On his way out of the headmistress’ office, however, Filius stopped in the doorway and looked back at the woman who was now sitting at her desk again. “Minerva? There is something else I would like to ask of you with regards to the upcoming wedding. When the big day is there, would you do me the honor to lead me down the aisle?”


	15. The Language Of Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the morning of their wedding, Lee Jordan wakes his partner Fred Weasley with breakfast in bed - and a very cute surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 15th Prompt: Flowers 
> 
> Pairing: Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan
> 
> This story was originally a stand alone drabble, which I have decided to include into this collection.

The Dark Lord was dead. The Magical Community of Great Britain could finally live free from fear. People everywhere were celebrating their new liberty. It was a time for love. Young couples everywhere were making plans to get married and began to plan their lives. 

It was in the middle of that euphoric mood that the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, passed a law that went unnoticed by many—but caused a great excitement in the Weasley family. The new decree Number 387 legalized same-sex marriages and gave homosexual couples exact equal rights. Fred proposed to his partner, Lee Jordan, the day the law was passed—and, of course, Lee accepted. 

The couple was so thrilled about its impending wedding that they went about all the preparations with the greatest enthusiasm, and the following weeks flashed past as quickly as a summer night’s dream. Fred’s twin brother, George, had suggested a double-wedding—Fred and Lee, George and Angelina— but this had been one of the rare occasions were Fred had disagreed. 

Theirs would be the first same-sex marriage in Britain’s Magical Community and Fred wanted everyone to see how happy he and his partner were, how brightly their love was shining. For once in his life, he did not want to share the bit of limelight that was falling on him and Lee.  
George downright told him how poofy that sounded, but Fred wasn’t bothered by this. He had developed far beyond the depressed teenager who had tried to hide his homosexuality under a clown’s mask—and was now a self-assured, proud, albeit sometimes a bit poofy, young man who was not afraid to show his love. 

When the morning of their wedding dawned, he was woken by a tender kiss from his fiancé and when he opened his eyes, their gaze found that of Lee’s dark brown ones. Oh, how he loved those eyes. He would probably never grow tired of looking at them. “Good morning, my future husband,” he whispered, before he returned Lee’s kiss passionately. 

“I have got our breakfast ready, love,” Lee told him in between more kisses, “Would you like to take it in bed? I have also got another surprise for you before we have to apparate to the Burrow.”  
Breakfast in bed with the man he loved on the day of their wedding—what other surprise could there possibly be, Fred wondered. But then again—Lee always made the best gifts. He knew him, he understood him like nobody else—not even George. Lee was so much more than just his significant other, he was his best friend and his soulmate. 

“I cannot wait to see what you have got for me. And breakfast in bed sounds wonderful. But before we do that… I want to do something else,” Fred got a hold on his partner’s shirt, pulled him down into his arms and involved him in their longest kiss yet. “I love you,” both men whispered into the kiss. It was a long time before they were able to let go of each other again. 

Eventually, however, their hunger got stronger and Lee went over to the little kitchen, where he bewitched the tray to hover over to them. In the middle of the tray, between coffee mugs, buns and marmalade, stood a colorful bouquet. 

“Every flower in this bunch symbolizes an aspect of our love,” Lee explained, while he caught the tray out of the air and set it gently down on the bed, before he cuddled up to his partner again. 

“See those little lilac ones there?” he asked, “They are heliotropes. They symbolize my eternal love for you. And see here… those are Red Carmelia. They say that my destiny is in your hands. Violets—they represent the loyalty, devotion and faithfulness I am going to show for as long as I life…” Lee continued to explain the meaning of the remaining flowers, but Fred was barely listening. 

The amount of thought his partner had given to a simple thing like a flower bouquet left him speechless. Those were the things which made him certain, more than anything else, that he had made the right decision. He could barely wait now to apparate to the Burrow, where he and Lee would soon be celebrating the start of their new life.


	16. For The Greater Good - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindlewald enjoy a romantic evening in old Bathilda's kitchen - when Aberforth arrives with unexpected and terrible news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 16th Prompt: Midnight Snacks  
> Pairing: Albus Dumbledore / Gellert Grindlewald
> 
> This is part 1 of the story, part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

Life at Godric’s Hollow followed a slow and monotonous path, which did not provide many surprises or intellectual challenges for a genius boy like Albus Dumbledore. At Hogwarts, he had always been able to find something or other to occupy him—but at home he was often bored and wished he just had somebody to talk to. His illiterate brother and his frail sister were no company, really, as much as he loved them. 

Then, almost from one moment to the next, Albus’ boredom was gone. A new boy, about Albus’ own age, had moved into the house next door. Gellert was a great-nephew of old Bathilda Bagshot, and it soon transpired that he was not just intellectually in the same league as Albus, but also stunningly handsome. 

The boys took to each other very quickly, and soon something more than just friendship grew between them. Albus was completely enamored, and it seemed that the other boy shared his feelings. They often sat in Bathilda’s kitchen until late in the night, eating everything they could find, discussing some crazy ideas they had had during the days, flirting and sometimes even kissing when they could be sure that nobody was watching them.

Albus lived for those secluded hours with his secret lover. Their tenderness kept him warm, their discussions saved him from starving intellectually—and that night was no different. They snacked on cheese and cold left-over chicken, drank pumpkin juice and once more debated one of Gellert’s favorite topics: the domination of wizards over Muggles. He had been expelled from Durmstrang for these believes, but in Albus he had found a patient listener. More than that, even—he had found somebody who was sympathetic. 

“No, seriously, Gellert,” Albus said, while he playfully fed his boyfriend with a bit of cheese, “I do believe that there is something to your ideas. It is, however, important that you never forget that we want to achieve these things for the greater good of all Muggles. That, I believe, is where you went wrong at Durmstrang…” 

Gellert quickly swallowed the cheese, then leaned in to his boyfriend to kiss him. “Oh, come on, Albus! Admit it! You are glad I got expelled from Durmstrang. If I had not been expelled, we would never have met. But you are right, of course. It all needs to happen for the greater good,” the boy whispered into the kiss. 

Albus did not want to stop kissing his lover. Gellert’s taste on his lips, his scent, his tender and warm hands—all of these little things drove him insane with longing. He was already hard. They had not had sex so far, but perhaps tonight would be the night. “Please, Gellert,” Albus actually found himself begging during the kiss, “please let me stay with you. I need you so badly. I love you.”

In reply, Gellert just kissed him harder and let his hands move on, under his boyfriend’s shirt. In the heat of the moment, the young lovers must have missed the rapping on the door, but the couple was brutally snapped back into reality when Albus’ brother, Aberforth, burst into the kitchen. 

There were tears running down Aberforth’s cheeks, even while he shouted at his older brother, “Albus, what are you doing here? We need you at home—I need you at home. Ariana lost control over her magic and something went wrong and now mother is dead and I can’t get Ariana to calm down and… please, Albus, come home with me.” 

Albus felt as if his whole world had just been shattered. At eighteen, he was now Head of his family. He was the one who had to take care of his brother and sister now—and that meant that he would have to abandon all his dreams of being able to travel the world, of working towards the greater good with his beloved Gellert. 

It meant that he was now trapped in Godric’s Hollow for good. Slowly, he looked from Gellert to Aberforth and back again, before he nodded, “Of—of course, I am coming.” He knew that he had to function now, but it still felt as if somebody else took control of his body, while he walked to the door and away from what might very well have been the best night of his life.


	17. For The Greater Good - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindlewald continues, but things get out of hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 17th Prompt: Sleepover
> 
> Pairing: Albus Dumbledore / Gellert Grindlewald

Albus always could get Ariana to calm down, even when she would not do it for their mother, but that night - the night Kendra had died - it was harder than ever before. The little girl was so upset that Albus had to oppose her with all of his own magic to break through her Obscureal defenses. It weakened him terribly, but eventually he was left victorious. 

How much more often he would be able to do it, though, was hard to tell. Ariana was getting very strong, and yet her magic was so unstable, Albus felt certain that something bad must be happening soon. Something terrible had happened that night, but he was left in no doubt that there was another catastrophe waiting just around the corner. It seemed inevitable. Albus simply didn't know where to find the power to face it when it happened. 

It must have been around 3 a.m. already, when he became aware of someone throwing little stones against the window, obviously to catch his attention. When Albus looked outside, he saw Gellert standing there. He opened the window and called down, "Hey, what are you doing here?" 

"I am here because I thought you might need some company after what happened tonight. Can I come in?" Gellert asked in return and, when Albus agreed, he placed a Levitation Charm upon himself and flew up to the window-sill, from where he climbed into the room. 

The moment Gellert put his arms around his waist, Albus found that he could not be strong anymore. He had managed to keep himself upright for the sake of Ariana and Aberforth so far - but here, in Gellert's arms, he could let go at last. For roughly half an hour they just set on the edge of Albus's bed together, holding each other. Gellert allowed his boyfriend to cry on his shoulder, telling Albus how much he loved him and that he would be there for him as long as he needed it. 

Later, they crawled into bed together - and although they did not have sex that night, this felt more intimate than anything Albus had experienced in his life before. He felt comforted and protected, while he fell asleep with his head on Gellert's chest. 

Over the days that followed, Gellert proved to be the tender and supportive boyfriend Albus needed. He helped Albus to inform St. Mungo's and the authorities in the morning, so that Kendra's body could be removed from the home. He assisted in all the preparations for the funeral and even turned out to be good with Ariana, who seemed to have taken a liking to the boy. Gellert and Albus spent every night together. 

One day, several weeks after Kendra's funeral, the boys could not sleep. They had had some highly enjoyable sex and were now cuddling and kissing each other, when Gellert asked, " Albus, my beloved? Would you do something for me?"

Albus, bright as he usually was, could not think straight when he was in his boyfriend's arms. He would do anything for him, anything, and so he thought nothing of it when he answered, "Of course, Gellert. There is nothing I would not do for you." He kissed him again. 

After a while, Gellert spoke again, "I want us to make a blood oath to each other. Make a promise to love each other for as long as we live, be faithful to each other, care for each other and never fight. Would you do this for me?" 

This was a time when it would not have been possible for a gay couple to get married - and so Albus felt that this was as close to a proposal as they would be able to get. He thought it was terribly romantic. "Oh Gellert..." he replied, "Of course I would do that. I love you so much." 

A few nights later, they performed the ceremony of making the oath. It was a beautiful, truly magical charm and Albus felt elevated. He and his beloved were one now, for as long as they lived. Albus was a deeply enamoured young adult at the time - he had no possible way of knowing that this decision would determine the fate of the entire magical world for many years. 

Almost as soon as they had made the oath, however, Albus began to notice a change in Gellert. It was very subtle at first - they maybe kissed a bit less often than they had done in the past - but Albus did not think too much of it yet. There could be all sorts of reasons why Gellert was less tender now than he had been in the past, and he was still the best partner Albus could ever have dreamed of. 

But soon the changes became more obvious. Gellert started to have rows with Aberforth and, once, Albus overheard Gellert shouting at poor Ariana, who had lately been even less stable than before the death of their mother. Albus found that, despite of how much he loved his partner, he was starting to get worried. He had to say something. Do something. Soon. 

Then, one evening, the situation got out of hand. Some insignificant event had triggered it. So insignificant that, later, Albus would not have been able to tell what it was. All he knew was that, suddenly, without prior warning, Gellert was pointing his wand at Ariana. 

The young girl was fighting to keep control over her own, unstable magic - but she was about to lose the fight. Aberforth' wand pointed at Gellert - and Albus? He just stood there, pleading with all three of them in turn, unable to interfere because the oath he had sworn to Gellert stopped him from joining the fight. 

Then, suddenly, there was a flash of green light and Ariana fell. Aberforth screamed. Albus was surrounded by darkness. 

When he opened his eyes, he was laying on the ground - but this wasn't his home. This was a cave - and he wasn't young anymore. He was an old man who had been forced to drink a cruel potions, to live through the terrors of his past once again. 

And there, the young boy by the lake who was trying to fight back Inferi, wasn't Gellert. It was Harry Potter.


	18. Because Black Lives Matter - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron Weasley saves his acquaintance Geraldine from her pimp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 18th Prompt: Intersection 
> 
> Pairing: Blaise Zabini (Geraldine) / Ron Weasley 
> 
> Kind of a continuation to June 5th - The Little Difference
> 
> Will be continued soon.

Ron Weasley had recently passed his driver's license. His ex wife had constantly told him in the past that he would never be able to do it - and that had incited him to show Mrs. 'Oh-So-Perfect' Hermione Granger-Weasley that he was neither as stupid nor as clumsy as she was making him out to be. He was just glad to be shot of that toxic woman at last, even though he often missed their kids. But he supposed that he would see them at the Burrow, when they came for Christmas with Mione's new partner - his brother Charlie.

Damn Hermione. Damn Charlie. And damn Harry, who had set the two of them up once Ron had made it clear that he was about to leave the marriage. In his anger, Ron didn't realize that he was stepping on the gas harder than usual. He almost missed the red set of traffic lights at the intersection - but at the very last moment he came to a hold with squeaking breaks. 

Really, red traffic lights took all the fun out of driving. That rubbish ought be prohibited. He stared straight ahead, still fuming, and wishing he had a cigarette to calm himself down - when he noticed something on the sidewalk of the street he was about to turn into. 

A disgusting type of white brute was hitting a back woman. She was already at the ground, but he didn't stop. It was a busy part of London and she was screaming for help, but none of the bypassers seemed to hear her. She tried to shelter herself from the blows, but now her attacker was kicking her instead. 

Ron could not stand it any longer. He was an Auror, and even though this was Muggle London he should be damned if he allowed anything like that to happen before his eyes. Guys like that brute were scum. Nothing more than scum. If he had thought that he had been angry before, it was nothing to how he felt now. 

After what felt like an eternity, the traffic lights turned green again - and Ron did not hesitate. He pulled up to the sidewalks, to where the man was still kicking and striking blow after blow at the woman on the ground. Blood was streaming down her head, gushing out of a laceration. One of her eyes was black and swollen. Ron suspected that there would be haematoma all over the woman's body, at the very least. More serious effects like a concussion or internal bleeding might be in the bounds of possibility - at least to Ron's limited medical knowledge. 

Just as her attacker was about to take aim for a kick against his victim's head, Ron drew his wand in one fluid motion and muttered, "Petrificus Totalus." The brute's arms and legs snapped together and he fell to the ground, stiff as a board. Ron could not care less if any Muggles had seen him. The Office of Misinformation would deal with them. 

Instead, he knelt down at the woman's side. He talked to her soothingly. This had been a part of his Auror training, because they needed to know how to approach potential victims of dark wizards, and now it came natural to him. "Don't be afraid, Ms. Nobody is going to harm you now. He can't hurt you anymore. I am here to help you." She seemed too scared to speak, but from the way she pressed his hand he could tell that she was thankful. 

Some part of his Auror training had been devoted to healing minor injuries and so he was able to stop the blood from gushing out of the laceration on her forehead and heal her black eye. The wounds and the blood had disfigured her beautiful face, and so it was only then that he recognised her. 

And now he was the one who cried. He had offered, not too long ago, to get her away from the bad situation she was in and help her to pay for that surgery. He had never wanted to her to be hurt like that, "Geraldine. Why didn't you come to me for help? I told you I would do anything to get you away from the streets." 

She stroked his hand tenderly, while he helped her to get up from the ground, "Oh don't fret, Ron. I don't feel any pain. You are here now, that's all I need to know. But now help me get into your car, okay. Patrificus Totalus won't keep him on the ground forever. We can talk while we drive." 

Ron was very much in favor of this, because he intended to take her to St. Mungo's anyway, so they could check her over for concussions, internal bleeding and anything his rudimentary medical skills did not allow him to check. But first, he was curious, "Why was this guy treating you like that? Is he a client?" 

She sadly shook her head, "No. He's my pimp. He treats all of his girls badly, but the black girls in particular - and me more than any of the others, because I am black and trans. But generally we are all dirt in his eyes... and when we don't bring the money, he makes us pay." She was sobbing hard and Ron wished he could hold her, so she could find some comfort in his arms. 

"I wish I could get not just you, but all of his girls away from the streets. Each and everyone of you deserves to be protected. Every life is valuable and matters. Black Lives. Trans Lives. But, for now, until I can figure out what else to do, I will do everything to keep you save." 

She leaned in to him, even while he was driving, and kissed his cheek, "Is it okay if I admitt that I have had a bit of a crush on you, ever since we spent that night together? We girls are not allowed to have feelings for clients. That's why I left just like that the last time."

When they had to stop at another traffic light, he quickly kissed her back. "You are just confused because of the shock and the blood loss. A beautiful woman like you cannot like a boring guy like me. But I have really had a crush on you since that night." 

They had finally arrived at the Leakey Cauldron, from where they entered into Diagon Alley and soon reached St. Mungo's. Geraldine was holding Ron's hand, and only now did one thought come to his mind. "Hey, where is your wand, anyway?" he asked her, "Why don't you have it with you?"


	19. The Photo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horace and Filius have a little argument during a shopping trip. But those two lovebirds simply can't stay mad at each other for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 19th Prompt - Shopping
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick 
> 
> (For anybody who might be waiting: Tomorrow I am going to post "Because Black Lives Matter - Part 2"

"Look, Horace," Filius asked his partner while they left Gringott's, "How am I supposed to know why Xenophilius has kept that picture? He is supposed to be your best friend, not mine. Why don't you ask him, if it's so important to you?" 

Those Gringott's carts never failed to make him sick, and the goblins addressing him in Gooblegedook, because they recognised him as kin, didn't help much either. He did not understand a word of the language, since he had never had much to do with that part of his family, and it simply annoyed him. 

He really did not need his fiancé to start a discussion about that picture again, on top of everything else. They had discussed it over and over, ever since Horace had returned home from a game of cards with old Xeno and Barnabas Cuffe, editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet, last night. The picture in question had apparently fallen out of one of Xeno's cupboards, when the man had taken out some glasses. 

"No, you tell me. I mean... I never even knew you and Xeno used to be in a relationship. I mean, shouldn't anyone have told me that my future husband and my best friend used to be dating?"

Filius rolled his eyes and laughed, "Seriously, Horace, you are setting too much store by this. Xenophilius used to be 21 at the time, I used to be 19. We were students in Florence, it was summer, most of the time both of us were drunk and that whole thing was over in less than a month. 

"That can hardly be called a relationship, can it? The word is much too big for what this was. And I have honestly no idea why he has kept that photo. I mean, that's Xenophilius Lovegood we are talking about. I bet he thinks that keeping a picture of an old love affair in a cupboard wards of Nargles or whatever." He smiled tenderly at his fiancé, "Can we give it a rest now, love? I was so looking forward to a nice day with you. Look, Gladrag's Wizardwear is over there. I thought we could get our suits for the wedding tailored by them." 

Horace bowed down to place a kiss on his partner's lips. "That seems to be a wonderful idea, my dear. I can hardly wait to see you in your new suit on our big day," he was so deeply enamoured with his fiancé, that he could hardly wait to get married.

Filius smiled up at his partner tenderly. He hated arguing with Horace and was glad that this was finally over. He took his partner's hand into his own, much smaller one - completely unconcerned about how this might look to outsiders - and together, they walked over to the shop.

A young shop assistant helped them to make the best choice out of all the different fabrics and cuts the shop had to offer, before he took their measures. All the time, the young man chatted away lightly - about how Filius had always been his favorite teacher, how great it was that Minister Shacklebolt had passed the law to legalize same-sex marriage, about how he too would soon get married to his partner... he really knew how to keep a customer entertained. 

The best moment, in Filius' opinion at least, came when the sales assistant told Horace that he would need a larger seize in his new suit than he'd worn so far. Of course, Filius loved everything about his fiancé. It was so wonderful to cuddle up to Horace's comfortably soft belly, but today he had annoyed him so much, that he simply had to tease him about it. "No more crystallized pineapple for you, my love," he chuckled, "I will have to put you on a diet." 

He did not laugh anymore when the shopping assistant told him that he, too, would need a larger seize in his new suit. Now it was Horace who was grinning instead, "It seems like we are in this together, hun." 

"Oh, shut up," Filius sighed, "That's not funny," but then they looked at each other and they both laughed. They just loved each other, with all their little imperfections. So what if they had put on a bit of weight lately? It just meant that there was more for them to hold on to. 

They concluded their dealings with Gladrag's, then left the shop - flirting and laughing happily with each other. Outside the shop, Filius put a Levitation Charm on himself again, like he had done on the evening of their first date and so often after that. Once his head was level with Horace, he waited for his partner to put his arms around him, before they kissed each other lovingly. "I would never take your beloved pineapple away, Horace. I love you just the way you are. Just don't be so jealous anymore, okay?" he told his partner during the kiss, "Because you are the only one for me." 

When Horace put him back down on the ground, they were holding hands again. "I am sorry that I was so jealous earlier. You know that this is the first time I have been in a same-sex relationship - or in such a serious relationship at all. There were a few women in my past - well, exactly four of them, to be honest: Leta Lestrange, Sophie Zabini, Rita Skeeter and Alecto Carrow - but it never meant anything with either of them," Horace started to tell Filius, "Now, I am sometimes not sure if I am doing it all right. If I am good enough for you. I am terrified to lose you, and Xenophilius is still an attractive man, despite his age, and... when I am with you, I am not myself most of the time. I am losing my self-confidence, because I am afraid to hurt you or to lose you and - oh goodness, that's all stupid gibbering, isn't it?" 

When Horace had finished his rambling, Filius repeated the casting of the Levitation Charm and brought himself up to his partner's hight again. He simply needed to be as close to his fiancé as possible right now, so he could look straight into Horace's eyes while he told him, "My stupid, adorable, sweet giant. You really should know how much I love you. It's not even been a year and I already can't imagine a life without you anymore. You are the reason why I wake up with a smile every morning. You are reason why all the love songs finally make sense. You are the man I want to grow old with. You are the one I am going to marry - not Xenophilius Lovegood or anyone else. You. Horace Slughorn. You are my world. And now let's go to Jade's Jewellery, to get those wedding rings." 

The following kiss was the longest and most passionate one they had shared that day, and once they broke apart again, Filius felt as if he could have remained airborne even without a Charm. Horace gave him wings, and it was simply impossible to stay mad at this man for long.


	20. Because Black Lives Matter - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geraldine and Ron start their relationship + an interesting evening at the Weasley's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 20th Prompt: Confession  
> Pairing: Blaise Zabini (Geraldine) / Ron Weasley (main pairing)  
> Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan  
> George Weasley / Angelina Johnson  
> Bill Weasley / Fleur Weasley  
> Hermione Granger / Charlie Weasley   
> Percy Weasley / Penelope Clearwater   
> Molly Weasley/ Arthur Weasley

She had told him that her pimp had never allowed her, or any of his other girls, to fall in love with a man. They had to pretend to have feelings for the client who paid them, but those feelings must never be genuine. If there was one among them who did have real feelings for a man, who was found out to have a boyfriend, she became instantly worthless to the pimp. In his opinion, a woman in love was less likely to want to have sex with a client and would therefore bring less money home.

This, however, did not stop Geraldine from falling quickly and fully in love with Ron. In her opinion, he was the best man she had ever known. He treated her with kindness and respect, never raised his hand against her, never shouted at her or gave her the feeling that she was a somehow less valuable human being.

Instead, he not only took her to St. Mungo's to get her checked, but later also allowed her to come home with him, so she would have a save place to stay where her old pimp wouldn't find her. For the first one or two nights, she slept on his couch, then he told her that she could use Hermione's old bed, where she would be more comfortable.

He accompanied her to Ollivander's, to get a new wand - her old one had been snapped into bits by her very angry mother, when she had been chased away from Zabini Manor after her Coming Out - and even succeeded in getting her a job interview at Madam Malkin's.

She tried to repay him for his kindness by getting dinner ready every evening before he returned from his Auror job, keep the apartment tidy and orderly and do all the shopping for them. She also tried to have some kind of special surprise for him every day. No big things, just small ones like a bit of his favorite chocolate or serving him breakfast in bed. There was nothing sexual between them yet, even though she often was aware of his admiring gaze sweeping across her body.

This changed on the day she had her job interview at Madam Malkin's. It all went very well. She was able to impress with a few designs she had recently done, as well as with her general knowledge of fashion, and so she was quickly hired. For the rest of the day, she was bursting with pride and happiness - and when Ron came home that night, she had his favorite food waiting for him on the table, as a means of showing her gratitude that he had arranged the interview for her. "I have got the job," she told him, with joy sparkling in her black eyes.

And then, just like that, without warning, he leaned in to kiss her. It was a short and chaste kiss, but full on the lips. "I am so proud of you, Geraldine. I knew you would get the job and now you will never have to go back to the bad place you used to be in before. I knew you had it in you," he told her fondly. Ron had really matured since the time he had left Hogwarts.

"All thanks to you," she told him, "If you hadn't been there to help, I don't know where I would be now. Probably dead." Nothing else happened while they ate, except that they flirted with each other wordlessly, just with glances and small, seemingly accidental touches.

Eventually, however, Geraldine could not keep silent any longer. She knew that this might come as a surprise to him - she also knew that he might not want to hear it - but she had to say something, "You know that I like you very, very much, do you? I mean... I like you as more than just a friend." She smiled at him shyly.

He smiled tenderly back at her, "I like you a lot as well. I have liked you since that first night we spent, just didn't want to force anything. You should not think that I am just a crazy client who is trying to abuse your situation and I wanted you to want it as well, to be comfortable with it."

"Oh, Ron. You are so cute," she smiled at him lovingly, and just seconds later they kissed each other for the second time that night. Neither of them wanted that kiss to end.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Two weeks later, they had a steady relationship going, and even though it might have sounded crazy to outsiders, Ron already knew even then that Geraldine was his great love. Everything was so light and beautiful and easy with her.

He vibed with her in a way he had never vibed with Hermione, and the sex with her was so perfect! It was not good because she was professional at it, but because of all the tenderness and trust which was between them. They wanted and needed the same things.

Geraldine was a goddess in Ron's eyes, and he knew that he would support everything she did - be it settling into her new job at Madam Malkin's or going her way through transitioning. He learned to avoid anything that might trigger her dysphoria or upset her. All he wanted was for her to be happy and comfortable - and one day, he also wanted to introduce her to his family.

So far, he had only told his mother that he would be bringing his new girlfriend for dinner on Saturday night. He had neither mentioned that Geraldine was black, nor that she was trans - because these things weren't important to him. When he looked at her, he did not see any of these things. Everything he saw was the breathtaking, irresistible woman whom he loved, and that was all that mattered. He could tell that she was very nervous, though.

When they apparated outside the Burrow, Geraldine put her arms around Ron's neck. She was taller than him, at least when she was wearing high heels, and had to bow her head slightly to kiss him. Ron would probably never get enough from the touch of these beautiful lips against his own. "Do you really think they will accept me?" she asked him during the kiss.

"They will love you, because I love you," he replied, and kissed her some more, "We also won't have to stay long, if you don't feel comfortable around them." He took her by the hand and they eventually entered.

Inside the Burrow, almost all the Weasley's with their partners were already waiting for them: Molly and Arthur, Bill and Fleur, Fred and Lee, George and Angelina, Ginny and Harry, Percy and Penelope, and - to Ron's great displeasure - Charlie and Hermione. It was already past 9 o’clock in the evening and they were late, because Ron had been delayed at the Ministry. There was a lot to do at the moment because, even with Voldemort gone, the dark side was more active than ever before.

His ex-wife, however, did not seem to care about his reasons, because—even before he had had the time to introduce Geraldine or say anything else—she attacked him, “You are late, Ronald. I thought you had learned at least a basic form of respect during our marriage. And who is that?” Even Charlie seemed to be embarrassed by his wife’s tone.

Ron, however, knew better than to allow Hermione to provoke him. Instead, he gave her a charming smile. “It is good to see you, too, Hermione. You look great as always. How are our kids? Oh, and that—” he put the same disdainful emphasize on the last word as she had done, “Is my girlfriend, Geraldine. I would prefer it if you could treat her with a bit more respect, thanks.”

Percy decided to get involved in the conversation, “Girlfriend? But… that’s a man! I mean, I can see his Adam’s apple. Is it not enough that one of my brothers is gay?”

Ron did not even need to look at Geraldine to know that she was feeling uncomfortable right now. She hated it when people disregarded her gender, used the wrong pronouns, or referred to her by her dead name—and rightly so. She had fought long and hard to be accepted for what she was, and she was one of the most naturally feminine women Ron had ever met.

Before he could say anything, however, Molly interfered, “Percy! That was the most disrespectful thing I have ever heard anyone say. I want you to apologize to Geraldine and—and then I want you out of my house!”

Fred and Lee also nodded, “Yes, we demand an apology as well. You basically said that it’s bad to be in a gay relationship.”

Angelina, meanwhile, smiled at Geraldine—and Ron sincerely believed that they were finally going to get some support. He was not mistaken, when his dear sister-in-law said, “I am sorry for this idiot, Come and sit with me, girl. We can talk.”

Geraldine smiled back at her and, indeed, took her seat at Angelina’s side, while Percy muttered a hasty apology, which satisfied nobody, and then left the house, together with his wife. The rest of the dinner passed more comfortably, and Ron even managed to ignore the constant stream of snide remarks his ex-wife shot in his direction.

They talked about light stuff like chocolate and a new song from the Weird Sisters, personal memories of their years at school, and then—suddenly, their conversation turned back to more serious matters, when George asked how Ron and Geraldine had met.

Of course, the first thing Ron did was to remind his brother that he had first met Geraldine on the night they had been at that club—but then he told the story of how he had found her on the streets, the day her pimp had attacked her.

There was silence all around the table, until Angelina placed a hand on Geraldine’s shoulder, “I am glad you are out of that bad place now, sweetie. You are not the only one here who has been attacked over the colour of their skin. It happened to me while I was visiting my relatives in the USA. They were policemen, though, and—“

“And it happened to me when my husband and I wanted to visit a disco in Manchester a while ago. The guys who attacked me did not say anything, but it was a disco with an almost entirely gay audience and I was not doing anything except smoking a cigarette and waiting to be allowed to get in, so—.” This had been Lee`s story.

Even Fleur, who had not said much during the evening, had something to tell about the matter of racism, “This wasn’t because of the colour of my skin, but because of my French accent, mais moi aussi, I have been attacked once; by some random stranger on the street.” They all looked at each other for a second, deeply stricken because of the amount of hatred so many of them had experienced.

“It is so—so unfair,” Geraldine said, “Every life has the same value. No matter if the person is gay, trans, black, or whatever. There is no difference between any of us—yet still, there will always be assholes, like Percy, like my pimp, like Angelina’s policemen, like the random guy at the disco or on the street—that will treat us as if we were different. We fought so hard in the war against Voldemort, to create a better tomorrow for ourselves and our children, and even though there is seemingly peace now, we need to fight again. And again. And again. It is a fight that will never stop. Every single day will be a fight, for as long as we live—because only if we keep fighting, we might eventually be able to make a difference to this world. But I cannot be the only one who wishes that there would be a peaceful path to a better tomorrow, can I?” she looked around between all the Weasley’s for quite some time, as though she was waiting for an answer for any of them. Her gaze lingered on Ron for a moment longer than on any of the others, “I mean, I am presently experiencing that there can be understanding and love between black and white. And, Angelina, Lee, Fleur—you and your partners are other great examples. So if it works for us, why can’t it work for everyone?”

She had spoken more passionately than Ron had ever heard her speak before and he found that he loved her all the more for it. He wished, more than anything, that there was something they could do to make her dream come true. “We would have to start privately perhaps, change the way each and everybody talks on a day to day basis. Show everybody around us the same respect, and then, perhaps—“Ron started, but it still sounded too good to be true and so he fell silent again, although he decided for himself to do in future just what he had proposed. He wanted to do his part to make the life of his girlfriend and those around them better if he could, but of course he knew that he alone would not be able to change the world.

For a moment, there was again silence among those who were gathered around the table. Nobody spoke, until Molly’s voice was heard, “I really like what you just said. _O beautiful new world that has such people in it!_ Let us start today, and we can all build a better world for our children and grandchildren.” One of her grandchildren, Fred’s and Lee’s baby daughter Maisie, who had slept in a quiet room until now, was cradled comfortably in her arms and she smiled lovingly down at her.


	21. The Letter From Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco awaits a letter from his father. When the owl finally arrives, it is not what he had hoped for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 21st Prompt: Acceptance  
> Pairing: Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy

Three weeks had passed since Harry and his new boyfriend had come out to the Weasley family and Draco's parents. The boys were now back at Hogwarts and used every chance they got to be together. Harry did not even care that he was neglecting his other friends, while Draco simply used Crabbe and Goyle to stand guard outside whichever room they were presently using to make out in.

Of course, the Professors quickly found them out - but even when McGonagall took 10 points each of Gryffindor and Slytherin and Snape, who had inherited the position of Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher from Umbridge, threatened them with detention they did not stop.

Professor Flitwick, however, was more sympathetic. He allowed them to use his classroom if they needed a private place, as long as he didn't catch them there after hours. Harry wondered why their Charms master treated him and Draco so kindly - but then again, there had for years been rumours that Flitwick, too, was gay. If that was true, he could possibly relate to their situation more than the other teachers, which would explain things.

So, all in all, the start of this school year hadn't been bad for Harry and Draco. There was one thing, however, that Draco still dreaded and one afternoon, when they were sitting alone by the lake, he told his boyfriend about it. "It has been four weeks now and I still haven't heard from my parents. My mother usually writes to me at least three times a week, sends me sweets and stuff, and now - nothing. Just stony silence," Draco sounded genuinely worried.

Harry put his hand on Draco's, in an attempt to soothe him. "They say that no news are good news, you know? At least your father has not yet informed you that you were written out of his will or stuff." He leaned in on his boyfriend and placed a tender kiss on his lips, "Please don't be sad anymore, baby. Whatever happens, we will see it through together."

At breakfast the next morning, Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, looking dreamily over to the Slytherins. "Do you think it would be possible to change houses?" he asked them.

Before Ron could say more than, "Look mate, I know you like shagging that git, but..." however, they were interrupted by the arrival of the owls. Harry observed an elegant looking eagle owl swooped down on Draco and let a sealed envelope drop into the boy's empty cornflakes bowl.

While Harry helped himself to some salami for his bun and pretended to listen to whatever it was Ron had to say, he watched as Draco opened the envelope with trembling hands. He watched his boyfriend's face, hoping to get some indication to contents of the letter from the emotions which registered on Draco's face.

He found it surprisingly hard to read the boy's face on this occasion, though - and so he had to wait until after their Defence Against The Dark Arts class for a chance to ask his boyfriend if he could read the letter.

**_Draco,_ **

**_Your mother and I have used these last weeks to discuss your inappropriate and completely unacceptable behaviour at King's Cross Station._ **

**_For the time being, we have decided not to disown you. However, we demand that you end your relationship with Harry Potter and attempt to find a more suitable partner._ **

**_We will give you time till Christmas to act in compliance with our wishes. If you fail to do so, you will not be allowed to enter the confines of Malfoy Manor ever again._ **

**_Your Father_ **

Harry expected Draco to be upset or even angry because of what he had just read. He put a comforting hand on his boyfriend's arm, "Draco, love, I will understand it if..."

But Draco interrupted him with a tender kiss that he on Harry's lips. "My parents have no idea how much I love you. If they don't accept me as gay and as your partner, than I don't even want to go back to the Manor," he smiled lovingly, then added after a small pause, "Do you think your aunt and uncle will allow me to come home with you instead?"

Harry forced himself not to laugh. Oh yes, the Dursley's would certainly love to have even more wizards in the house! They barely accepted him as it was...


	22. The Pureblood Ball - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every year, the pureblood society of Great Britain celebrates itself during a great ball at Malfoy Manor.  
> This year, however, some things are different... and it is not just the guest list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 22nd Prompt: Dance
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick  
> Lucius Malfoy / Severus Snape  
> Ginny Weasley / Luna Lovegood  
> Narcissa Malfoy / Corban Yaxley  
> Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy  
> and others

Filius was excited, there was no better word for it. As a halfblood with non-human ancestors, he had never been involved in the pureblood society of magical Britain, but now—as Horace’s partner—he had been invited to the great ball at Malfoy Manor.

“Is my tie straight?” he asked Horace for what must have been the fifth time that evening, “I feel like it still needs a little fixing.” He looked up to his fiancé, awaiting his judgement.

Horace, however, just laughed and placed an encouraging kiss on Filius’ lips, “As I have told you before, love, your tie is immaculate. You look good and I am sure that everybody will admire you tonight. Also, don’t worry about how you look. You are with me and as much as I usually enjoy being in society, I always manage to make a fool of myself at Malfoy Manor . Last year, I managed to pour an entire glass of wine over my suit—five minutes after the party had started.”

Filius chuckled, “I know that you are just trying to cheer me up, but I appreciate the effort. You are seriously the cutest man I know.” He returned his partner’s kiss tenderly. Just two more weeks and they would be married. Filius could hardly wait for the day.

“So, I have heard that Lucius Malfoy is going to introduce his new partner to the public at the ball. Do you know who this mysterious woman might be? I mean, you are better informed about these matters than anyone else I know,” he chatted away while they set out to leave Hogwarts a few minutes later. He knew that Horace loved to talk about things like this, and what made his partner happy made him happy as well.

“That is true,” Horace agreed, “I am usually very well informed about the knots which are tied within the pureblood society. I take some pride in my knowledge of these matters, to be honest. But in this case—I have to admit that I am entirely in the dark. Names have been mentioned, but I cannot believe what I have heard. Sophie Zabini, for example. She recently got widowed for the eighth time, and again under mysterious circumstances. A Malfoy would, of course, be the highlight in her collection. But I know from reliable sources that Sophie has been seen in a very intimate situation with Minister Shacklebolt who, as I hope, will also be present at the Manor tonight.

“Then again, there are other rumors flying around. These rumors are talking about Lucius Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks, his ex-wife’s sister. I do not believe this either, though. True, she got widowed during the war, but I cannot believe that Lucius would choose a partner whom he believes to be a blood-traitor. So, this question is as baffling to me as it is to you. Sorry, love. I wish I had more to tell you,” Horace shrugged, and Filius understood that this was really something that bothered his partner, who thrived on his excellent standing with the most notable names in the magical world.

Just before the reached the gates which led out of the ground and beyond which it would be able to disapparate, someone passed them. The man, who was dressed all in black and had greasy black hair, almost knocked Filius to the ground in his hurry.

“Severus,” Filius called after him, “Can’t you pay attention to where you are going?”

Snape stopped in his tracks and turned around. “I am sorry, Filius. I did not see you there and I certainly did not wish to interrupt your moonlit stroll with your fiancé. I am however, on my way to an important event at Malfoy Manor, so that I am sure you will excuse me now.” Before Filius or Horace could say anything in reply, Snape had moved on.

The couple, however, stared at each other in the darkness. “You don’t think…” Filius began, sounding perplexed.

Before he could even finish the question, however, Horace replied, “Seems like it, doesn’t it? He is a halfblood, this is a pureblood ball. His only chance to get in would be as somebody’s date, and… oh come on, Filius! Let’s hurry up! I definitely do not want to miss that!” They were finally outside the gates, and in one swish of their cloaks they were gone.

When they reapparead outside the manor, Snape had already almost reached the entrance. Lucius Malfoy stood waiting for his guest in the doorway, and—Horace nudged Filius at the sight and whispered, “See, what did I say”—greeted Severus with a passionate kiss.

Oh, this was brilliant! Filius had to stop himself from squeaking, as this would not have been very appropriate in society. He did, however, whisper back to his partner, “This is sweet, isn’t it? But I bet that we will still be the best couple here tonight.” He quickly employed his favorite trick and placed a Levitation Charm on himself, so he could hover up to Horace’s height and, ensconced in his significant other’s arms, share a kiss with his fiancé that was just as passionate as the kiss Lucius had shared with Severus.

They, too, were greeted by the host, albeit far less cordially. A house-elf then led them in the splendidly decorated hall of the manor, where it seemed that all the pureblood wizards and witches of Great Britain were already gathered. Although Filius knew most of the people present, if not in person then from the many times the Daily Prophet had reported about every single one of them, Horace kept a steady stream of commentary going for his entertainment.

“Ah, it seems that Lucius and Severus are not the only surprise here tonight. See that? That’s Xeno Lovegood’s daughter Luna, and obviously she’s here with her girlfriend, Ginny Weasley. But, of course, you know them. Luna was in your house, after all. Oh, and there is young Draco Malfoy, with—Merlin, so the rumors are true! That is Harry Potter! Hallo Harry!” Horace and Filius both waved over to Harry, who waved back.

Horace’s stream of commentary continued, while another house-elf served them drinks, “Oh, I knew it! See, I told you about the rumors. That’s Sophie Zabini with Kingsley Shacklebolt and… what’s that Skeeter woman wearing there? Oh look, who has just arrived! Hey Xenophilius, over here!” Horace called over to his best friend, who joined them at their table just moments later. They were joined, too, by former Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and Barnabas Cuffe, editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet, another of Horace’s closest friends.

While Horace chatted with the other men for a while, Filius’s attention was drawn to the string quartette that accompanied the arrival of the guests with some subtle music. He was a musician himself, since he had been the conductor of the Hogwarts Frog Choir for many years, and as such he was able to appreciate their performance. He supposed that they would be playing a different kind of music later on, when the formal reception and dinner were over, and the ball turned into what it was in the first place—a dance.

Filius got dragged into Horace’s conversation with the others, when Xenophilius mentioned that he had recently discovered new traces to the whereabouts of the legendary Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

“Xeno,” he said, while rolling his eyes, “how often do I need to tell you? The Snorkack doesn’t exist. It is a myth. There is literally no…”

He was interrupted when two things happened at the same time: Lucius Malfoy got up from the table where he had been sitting with his partner, his son and his son’s boyfriend—probably to declare the buffet opened or introduce his partner as he had planned—while, on the opposite end of the hall a beautiful blonde woman entered. The woman was accompanied by someone whom Filius would have recognized as Corban Yaxley, even if Horace had not told him. He had fought Yaxley, during the Battle of Hogwarts, and from that remembered him to be a very dangerous man. The woman at Yaxley’s side, however, who looked almost liked a fairy in her purple dress, was nobody other than the former Lady of Malfoy Manor herself. Narcissa had arrived.


	23. The Pureblood Ball - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June 23rd Prompt: Acceptance
> 
> Pairing: Lucius Malfoy / Severus Snape  
> Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick  
> Sophie Zabini / Kingsley Shacklebolt / Rita Skeeter  
> Narcissa Malfoy / Corban Yaxley
> 
> Warning: Major Character Death  
> Physical and Verbal Violence
> 
> The story continues tomorrow, with the third and final part, which will contain the investigations.

Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy faced each other across the room, and everybody who looked their way could see that there was no love left between the former couple. Neither of the two said a word, but after a few seconds Narcissa took a hold of Yaxley’s arm, who led her over to their table. The house-elves had just started to serve the first course. 

Although the situation between the Malfoys had passed peacefully, it seemed that the mood within the hall had shifted. Flitwick was one of the first who noticed it, when he asked his fiancé to pass the bottle of red wine, which stood just out of his reach on the table. “Can’t you do anything on your own?” Horace snapped angrily, “Just accio the damned thing, will you?” 

Filius frowned. His partner had never spoken to him like that before; Horace was usually the kindest, most caring man he could ever have dreamed of. “Of course, I can,” he replied rather coolly while he drew his wand and performed the spell wordlessly, “Oh, and by the way—thank you for nothing, Horace.” A stony kind of silence fell between them, while they finished their soup. 

The remaining guests who had been placed at their table, but former Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge more than anyone, tried to make conversation. Filius, however, was no longer in the mood to join their talk. His partner obviously did not even feel the need to apologize for his lack of tact. Maybe he should reconsider if he really wanted to get married to Horace in two weeks. 

He was distracted, however, when fights broke out at two of the other tables. Corban Yaxley and Severus Snape were shouting each other, and Filius could clearly hear Yaxley shout, “If you ask me, Severus, the Dark Lord should have killed you a long time ago! You are a disgrace to wizardkind and you most certainly do not deserve to move freely in our society, traitor! I really cannot understand what you even see in this rat, Lucius!” 

While Lucius stood up from his table, obviously to come to his partner’s defense, Filius found himself thinking that maybe they were the better couple after all. At least Lucius cared about Severus enough to help him—unlike Horace, who had not even been able to pass him a stupid bottle of wine. “Yes, listen to them! That is how you treat your partner” he said tersely, when he found that Horace was listening to Lucius, who was now shouting back at Yaxley. 

On a different table, Rita Skeeter was suddenly pulling at Sophie Zabini’s hair, attempting to draw the woman away from snogging Kingsley Shacklebolt. “That’s my man you are making out with, you whore!” Rita screamed shrilly—and when Sophie finally turned around, she used her long, sharp nails in an attempt to scratch Rita’s eyes out. Kingsley tried to interfere, but the women did not let go of each other. 

“You know, I have never treated you with anything but kindness and that is how you reward me,” Horace now attacked Filius, “I think I have made a big mistake by choosing you as my partner.” Oh, really? Horace had made a mistake? Ha! Ludicrous! If anyone had made a mistake, it was him—not his partner. 

Then, unexpectedly, the light of the first spell flashed across the room. It had been cast by a group of three wizards which stood facing each other in the center of the hall. Arthur Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Cornelius Fudge, who had left their table a while ago, all had their wands out. They had obviously become caught up in a heated debate about politics. 

Even though the house-elves had now started to serve the second course, nobody paid attention to the food. Luna Lovegood was fighting with her father about the existence of the Crumble-Horned Snorkack, screaming that Xenophilius needed to start believing in things which didn’t exist.  
Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter fought over their long-lost love affair, which had ended when Harry had left Ginny for Draco. Harry, in return, argued that the relationship had ended because Ginny had cheated on him with Luna. 

Something about this situation left Filius with an ominous feeling. He did not want to fight anymore, but found that he could not resist the urge to shout at his partner, “Oh yes, you have made a mistake? You? No, Horace. I am the one who made a mistake. I actually believed that a Slytherin could be a good make a good partner. But you know what? You can go and rot in hell now. I am leaving you. The wedding is off.” 

When Horace wiped out his wand, Filius copied him. A couple of spells flew between them, each more powerful and dangerous as the one before, until there was a flash of green light which erupted from his partner’s, or rather—as he firmly believed at that moment—his ex-partner’s wand.  
Filius barely, and breathlessly, avoided the curse by throwing himself under the table. He could not believe it. He could not believe that Horace had tried to use Avada Kedavra on him. How could he have been this mistaken in the man? Thankfully, Horace seemed to be just as shocked as himself by the events, which allowed Filius a chance to use draw his ex-partner’s wand to him with a quick Expelliarmus. 

It seemed, however, that Horace’s spell must have hit somebody else, because there was the loud thud of a body falling to the ground, followed by screams and general uproar. When Filius resurfaced from below the table, he found that it was Draco Malfoy who had fallen. Deeply shocked, he stared from Horace to the dead boy on the ground and back again. He could not believe it—but when he saw Draco’s parents and Harry kneeling down around the body, he knew he had to accept the bitter truth. Draco was dead. Horace had killed him—or had he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horace Slughorn killed Draco Malfoy. Or did he?  
> What do you think is going to happen in the next part?


	24. The Pureblood Ball - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The great final of the Pureblood Ball brings the answer to the question who is really responsible for the Death Of Draco Malfoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 24th Prompt: Mutual Support 
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick   
> Lucius Malfoy / Severus Snape   
> Ginny Weasley / Luna Lovegood 
> 
> and others

Filius stared at Horace, unable to believe what had just happened and what he had witnessed. The anger he had felt just seconds ago had abated as quickly as it had come—and had instead been replaced by a numb kind of shock.

If the months he had spent at his partner’s side had taught him one thing, it was that Horace Slughorn was one of the kindest, most benevolent men he had ever met. He was certain, absolutely certain, that Horace would never raise his wand against him under normal circumstances—and, even more importantly, that this man was not capable of murder. There was something terribly wrong here, something he could not quite grasp. Horace’s face reflected the shock Filius felt.

Uproar was raging like a storm around the pair, until three loud bangs from Kingsley Shacklebolt’s wand restored the room to silence. For a few seconds, the only sounds which could be heard were the sobs of the three people who were gathered around Draco Malfoy’s body. Severus Snape stood behind his partner, one hand resting comfortingly on Lucius’ shoulder.

Then, everybody’s attention was drawn to Shacklebolt when he said—in his slow and calm voice, “Nobody is to leave until the crime scene has been investigated. Everybody is to surrender his or her wand for investigation and must keep him or herself available for questioning. I ask every single person in this room to remain quiet.” He then performed a spell which would make it impossible to apparate or disapparate inside the manor until the spell was lifted again. Once that was done, he directly addressed Arthur Weasley, “Arthur? Would you be so kind as to check my wand with Priori Incantatem to reveal the last five spells? This will clear me and give me the opportunity to conduct investigations until we can get reinforcement from the Ministry.”

Before Arthur could cast the spell, though, Horace spoke, “But why is this necessary? I think all of us saw who cast the spell, and I am fully prepared to take responsibility for it.”

That was as good as a confession, and Filius knew that this could only mean one thing for his partner—a journey without return ticket to Azkaban. “Horace, no!” he gasped, unwilling to accept this, “Don’t sacrifice yourself. Yes, you cast Avada Kedavra. But it has not yet been sufficiently proven that it was your curse which killed Draco.”

Horace was about to contradict, possibly to call him insane because of his refusal to believe in obvious facts, but before he could say anything, other voices were speaking in support of what Filius had said. “Yes, there was more than one flash of green lights. One was cast very near to me!” Sophie Zabini called.

“One of the spells was coming from somewhere over there. It was closer to Draco,” said Corban Yaxley.

“No, not from there,” Molly Weasley contradicted, “The curse was cast somewhere to my left.” Filius wondered for a short moment how he had not noticed her among the guests so far—but then again there were many people in the room.

All the different statements, however, confused him—and his confusion was reflected Shacklebolt’s answer, “In that case—innocent until proven guilty, Horace, and everybody is entitled to a just trial. I would also hate to arrest you for a crime you possibly didn’t admit two weeks before your wedding and incur your partner’s wrath. Not before we haven’t checked every other option, anyway.”

Finally, Arthur could proceed to check Kingsley’s wand, which was soon proven not to have cast the spell. Following this, all the remaining wands in the hall were collected as well and the checking continued.

There were fifty-three wands in total, and in the end four were discovered to have performed an Avada Kedavra at almost the same moment. The first suspicious wand belonged to Horace, who had already confessed. The second wand in question belonged to Rita Skeeter, the third to Luna Lovegood and the last to Harry Potter, Draco’s partner.

The strange thing about it was that, judging by their immediate reaction at discovery, three of the suspects had no recollection of having cast the spell. But of course, every suspect would try to plead guilty in the face of evidence.

“Interesting. Very interesting,” Kingsley said, “Based on this, I think we will have to start our interrogations. Harry, I think I will start with you.” He addressed two members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who had been summoned and arrived at the meantime, “You two can start by interviewing Mr. Slughorn and Ms. Skeeter. Arthur, would you be able to assist us by talking to Miss Lovegood?”

Filius, who had observed the proceedings quietly, assumed that Kingsley wanted to give the gently and sweet Luna the chance to be interviewed by somebody who was sympathetic.

Personally, he could not imagine that she could have intended to harm anyone and it confirmed his suspicion that there was something else going on, something—not quite as simple as a murder, something more mysterious and probably more sinister. But what could it be? His mind raced.

One of the few advantages of being part-goblin was that he possessed the ability to remember most anything he had ever read. It all was there, categorically ordered in his mind.

If he really wanted to support his partner, if he wanted to help, he needed to figure this out, and in order to do that—he needed a quiet place to think. This would be hard to do in this busy hall, but he was very small. He crawled back under the table where he had sheltered from Horace’s spell earlier and closed his eyes, to block out all that might have distracted him.

There were all sorts of curses and spells which might have similar effects, but none quite like the one that he believed to be at work here. But what, then–what was it? The solution came to him, as brightly as the light of a supernova, when he heard two people talking quite close by.

It seemed that they did not know he was there, or they would not have spoken this openly, even though they did so in hushed voices. “What went wrong, Corban?” the woman asked, “You promised it would take the thing he loved the most in the world. It should have claimed the life of Severus, and not…” The woman sobbed hard, and Filius suddenly knew who she was.

In the moment he understood that it was Narcissa Malfoy whose voice he had heard, the magic which had remained out of his grasp all evening suddenly came within reach.

Maledicte Mulier Decepta. The Curse of the Cheated Woman.

That was very ancient magic indeed, some of the darkest types of blood magic. He only knew about it because he had once read about this special curse in an ancient book in the Restricted Section of the library. It was very dangerous when a cheated woman wanted to destroy everything her former partner had loved, and it could go very wrong. Just as it had done tonight. It was tragic, really.

Narcissa must have believed that the person Lucius loved most in the world was Severus—and not Draco. Then she had not been able to control the magic properly, and then—yes, that was the only reasonable explanation.

He needed to talk to the Minister now, before a wrong decision was made and an innocent life would be destroyed. He also needed to get his partner back, because—now that he understood that Horace was innocent and what had caused all the uncontrolled anger in the room that night—he was not prepared to give up on their relationship so easily. He loved his fiancé too much for that.

One our later, Filius and Horace were on their way back to Hogwarts. Filius was still thinking of everything that had happened—in very quick succession— since he had informed Shacklebolt of his realization.

Narcissa Malfoy and Corban Yaxley had been arrested and would be tried on the death of Draco Malfoy. It had been discovered that the Avada Kedavra curse which had actually killed Draco had been cast by Rita Skeeter, who would also be facing trial—but on minor charges, since she had acted under the influence of the curse and not voluntarily.

Ginny Weasley had hugged and kissed her girlfriend Luna Lovegood after she had been released. Molly and Arther Weasely had been determined to cheer up Harry Potter, who seemed inconsolable about the death of his partner.

He and Horace had forgiven each other, amid tears, for their earlier fight. It was the first serious argument they had had ever since they had fallen in love with each other a year ago and both of them had suffered. Now, however, it seemed that all was well again.

Later, back in Horace’s rooms at Hogwarts, when his fiancé held him in his arms just before they fell asleep, Filius found himself thinking once more just how lucky he was to have this wonderful man at his side, and that he really did not want to be without Horace in his life anymore.


	25. A Cure For Sadness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus Lupin finds some solace in his partner's arms on the day after a full moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 25th Prompt: Chocolate  
> Pairing: Sirius Black / Remus Lupin

The day after a full moon was always bad for Remus, but never more than in July. He would not have been able to explain exactly why he felt like that—perhaps it was just the heat, which was greater in July than in any other month, and which could drag him down even on a normal day—but the fact remained. He yearned for somebody he could hold on to, who would offer him some comfort. For almost fourteen years, he waited for such a person in vain, but this year—at last—this would not be so. This year, he finally had somebody he could come to when he needed comfort or even just some company. 

Just when the sun was about to disappear in the west, he apparated just outside the front door of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Instead of ringing the doorbell and wake up the portrait of dear Walburga Black, Remus sent his patronus inside to let his boyfriend know he was there. Just moments later, Sirius opened the door. The men hugged and greeted each other with a loving kiss, before Sirius let Remus into the house. 

“I won’t ask how you are, Moony,” Sirius told him in a very concerned tone while they walked to the living room, “I know that you are never good on the day after a full moon. Just let me know what you need, my friend.” 

“All I need is to be with you, Sirius, I am always happier when I am with you,” he quickly stole another kiss from his partner’s lips. They cuddled together on the new sofa he had helped Sirius to purchase a few weeks ago. It was soft and comfortable, and certainly made the old room more habitable. 

Remus put his head in Sirius’ lap, who started to stroke his hair gently and told him, “My poor baby. I wish you did not have to go through this every month. I know that the Wolfsbane Potion makes everything more bearable, but you still don’t deserve to have to suffer so much.” 

The two men snuggled wordlessly for a while, and Remus could already feel some of the sadness, pain and tiredness he had felt since last night leave him. Simply to be with his best friend and partner was like a cure for all the negative emotions in him. Sirius understood him like nobody else, they had never needed many words to be able to see into each other’s hearts. 

“All that matters is that I am with you, Sirius. You are the ideal cure for my sadness. You—and some chocolate ice cream,” Remus said, finally grinning again. 

Sirius chuckled. “I’ll take that as an order,” he said in a tone which was somehow playful and serious at the same time—before he added somewhat more loudly, “Kreacher! Bring us two big bowls of chocolate ice cream and two spoons.”


	26. Tonight I Hate You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean Thomas works the graveyard shift at a museum... the night turns out to be more exciting than he had bargained for. 
> 
> (Kind of a crossover with Nights At The Museum)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 26th Prompt: Graveyard Shift  
> Pairing: Dean Thomas / Seamus Finnigan
> 
> Language Warning for Swearing

The MACUSA had wanted a British Auror to join their ranks, so their own employees could benefit from the different training, experiences and style they could bring to the team. 

The new Head of the American Auror office, Brandon Harris, had reached out to several British senior Aurors first, but neither of them had been interested in the position - and so, in the end, Seamus Finnigan got the job. 

A few weeks later, Seamus and his partner Dean therefore boarded a plane - each of them holding tightly onto their newly issued greencatds - which would take them across the ocean to their new home in New York City. Dean had be able to enroll as an arts student at the NYCU. 

As tuition fees in the USA were traditionally high, Dean knew that he would need a job to pay for it - and, luckily enough, he quickly found one. He would be the new watchman at the American Museum of Natural History, where he would usually be working the graveyard shift. 

Naturally, he expected it to be a quiet job, possibly even boring, but definitely a good opportunity to read up on all the stuff for university and do a bit of drawing. Little did he know that he would be in for a surprise before his first shift was even over. 

Dean was doodling a picture of his boyfriend, when it happened... his watch jumped to midnight and almost at the same moment an all-mighty roar echoed through the silent halls. 

Startled, he dropped his pencil - deciding that, since he was the watchman, he should try to discover what had made the noise, he took his wand and went to check. 

Well, he did not have very far to go however, because for a few seconds he felt the floor shaking, and then he saw - a motherfucking, supposedly dead, but now very much alive dinosaur! 

He almost shit his pants in fear, and of course his terrified brain forgot all about his being a wizard or about the wand in his hand. He also did not believe that he knew a spell powerful enough to stop a dinosaur, even if he had been able to think. That little stick in his hand seemed like a joke compared to something so big. And so hungry. Because that dinosaur was definitely hungry, and it craved him as its midnight snack. 

Dean started to ran, as fast as his legs would carry him, in the opposite direction. Away from the monster. He came to a hold in front of a giant seized moai from the Easter Islands. That was better. At least a moai could not move. It was just a big stone into which somebody had carved a face. It could not hurt him, because it was definitely not alive. "Dum Dum give me Gum Gum and flee from Attila the Hun Hun!" When that giant stone mouth moved, Dean felt - for the second time that night - that his heart would surely fail. 

How - what - bloody hell, what was going on there? There was a giant fucking dinosaur behind him, a talking moai in front of him and one look to his right told him that there was indeed Attila the Hun racing towards him, followed by his screaming horde. This was too much, definitely too much! He had not signed up for this in his contract! No way he was going to stay! 

He ran for the nearest place which seemed to offer a bit of shelter - the women's loo. No, he did not care about being a man right now. There were no women in there at that time of the night anyway, and all he did care about was not to be eaten by a bloody T-Rex or beaten to death by Attila the Hun! 

He slammed the door to the nearest stall shut then took out his phone to text Seamus. He did not even care that his writing was all in caps. 

PLEASE TELL ME YOU PUT SOMETHING IN MY DINNER!!!  
BECAUSE I THINK THAT A FUCKING DINOSAUR JUST WANTED ME AS HIS SNACK!!! 

The message was sent and immediately the blue checks told him that Seamus had read the message. His partner was typing back, just when Dean heard something banging against the door. 

His phone flashed out a new message. 

Hahaha yes, that was a dinosaur! I thought it was great, didn't you? But don't worry, I'd never let you get seriously hurt. I could've stopped it at any moment. 

Dean stared at his phone in disbelieve. So had all this been just some sick joke? He typed another reply.

WHERE ARE YOU? YOU SICK BASTARD! SHOW YOURSELF! 

The banging stopped, but instead the door to the bathroom was opened again. 

He heard his boyfriend's laugh, "Blimey, don't wet yourself! I just thought I'd make your first night here a bit more fun. I also thought you were a wizard." 

A kind of anger surged through Dean, the likes of which he had never felt before - at least not towards his partner and best friend, "This wasn't funny, Seamus! I thought I was a goner! Don't do that ever again! I hate you so much right now!" he shouted at him. 

He could not however, stay mad at Seamus for a long time - he had never been able to do that - and so he added more peacefully, "I will love you again tomorrow, but tonight I hate you."


	27. Cleaning The Pigsty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rolanda Hooch is not a very domestically minded woman.  
> Her girlfriend, Minerva McGonagall, helps her to clean her mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 27th Prompt: Domestic  
> Pairing: Minerva McGonagall / Rolanda Hooch

Rolanda Hooch had never been particularly good at all these little domestic things.

She had never made a cake, and her cooking skills were limited to making noodles.

She also was not the tidiest woman you would ever meet, and she simply did not understand—at least not without magic—how people could do things like knitting or stitching.

She had never actually been forced to learn either of these things, and so they remained puzzling to her.

Or rather—they remained puzzling to her, until her new girlfriend Minerva decided to change this.

One evening, when they were laying next to each other in bed, both immersed in their own book, Minerva informed Rolanda unexpectedly, “You know, love—I am going to say it as it is. Your room is a pigsty. Starting from tomorrow, I am going to teach you how to effectively apply a few household spells which will help you to keep your stuff in order.”

Rolanda put her book down and rolled over on her right side, so she could look straight at her girlfriend.

She pouted, “Oh come on, Minerva! Why do I have to learn this stuff? You are so good at it; you can clean my rooms if you like.”

The moment she said this, however, she realized that this had been the worst possible word choice.

It wasn’t Minerva’s way to shout when she was angry, instead she assumed an even more superior manner and coolly stared down at her partner over the rim of her glasses, “I am you partner, Rolanda, and not your personal house-elf. I am going to teach you, and I will not allow any debate on the matter.”

“Umpf,” Rolanda made, feeling like a child which had just been reprimanded by a stern parent, “I guess I can give it a try.”

Minerva finally put her book down as well, and placed an arm around Rolanda’s back, “That’s all I wanted to hear, love.” The rest of the night was spent in a tender haze because reconciliation sex was just the best—even when it had not been a real argument.

By the next morning, Rolanda was more readily prepared to listen to all Minerva had to say.

Soon, she even found that she enjoyed all these new tricks and quirks she was being shown. It was fun to watch the sheets folding themselves, and who would have thought that ironing could be so easy?!

By the early afternoon, everything in Rolanda’s rooms was in perfect order and all the surfaces and dishes were sparkling clean.

She did not want to admit it at first, but then she found that she could not possibly deny it either—her home looked much better now than it had ever done before, and it was all thanks to Minerva and her teaching.

As she put her arms around her partner’s body to engage her into a kiss, she told her, “Thank you for all your help, darling. This place is so much better because you are there. But now let’s head out for dinner, before we get it all dirty again. I’ll pay.”

Minerva smiled warmly at Rolanda, before she returned her kiss and whispered, “This does sound like an excellent plan, love. I am in.” 


	28. More Than Just A Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While he, his siblings, and their partners are on their way to the Pride Parade in London, George Weasley learnes about the events of June 28th 1969.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 28th Prompt: Parade  
> Pairings: Ron Weasley / Blaise Zabini (Geraldine); Fred Weasley / Lee Jordan; George Weasley / Angelina Johnson

When the doorbell rang at the apartment she and her boyfriend had been sharing for the past two years, Geraldine opened the door excitedly. She had been looking forward to meeting them all week, because hanging with Ron’s brothers and their spouses was always fun. In the two years that had past since she had first been introduced to the Weasley family, they had all grown close—and in her opinion this was the best feeling in the world. 

The door was barely open, when Angelina already pulled her into a hug and kissed her left and right on the cheeks, “Hey girl! You look fabulous!” 

Geraldine smiled and kissed Angelina back, “You too, honey. Do tell me where you bought your dress. I love it!” She then hugged George as well, “Ron’s in the living room. We’re still waiting for Fred and Lee before we go.” 

George chuckled, “I should have known. My dear brother never manages to be on time. No surprise th—” 

He was interrupted, when the two people they had just been talking about came up the stairs, though all eyes were immediately drawn to Fred. There was a moment of silence, before Angelina eventually asked, “What—I mean, what in Morgana’s name—did you do to your hair?” 

Fred grinned, “What? Don’t you guys like the colors? I didn’t have a flag at home, so I thought this might do the trick as well.” He had died his hair in the colors of the rainbow flag. Lee was wearing a shirt that matched his husband’s styling perfectly. Together, they offered such a great sight that suddenly everybody just started laughing, including Ron who had by now come out of the living room. 

Still giggling, Geraldine said, “You could just have said something, you know. I have enough flags for everyone.” She quickly accioed a plastic back from the kitchen and passed it round between everybody. “That’s the advantage of working at Madam Malkin’s; we sell them there, so I always have access,” she explained. 

A few minutes later, the group was on its way to the London Pride Parade. They’d walk, since it wasn’t very far from the apartment and they all wanted to have a drink or two while they were there. Everyone was in high spirits and chatting away lightly, until George asked quite unexpectedly, “You know, guys, I am really all for equal rights and everything and I think that these parades are great, but what started them? I mean, who was the first who said that it would be a cool idea to have a party each year to celebrate Pride?” 

Fred turned round to face his twin, a surprisingly stern look on his face, “Okay, George—I need you to do me a favor. Don’t let anybody hear that my twin doesn’t even know about Stonewall. That’s embarrassing.”  
“Why? What’s Stonewall?” George asked again.

This time, even his wife threw him an exasperated glance. “Honestly, George! I know we didn’t learn about this in school, but it still wouldn’t hurt you to open a book every now and then. Or even a newspaper. We would have more interesting things to talk about if you did,” she told him, for what felt like the thousandth time in their marriage. Angelina loved her husband dearly, but sometimes she found herself wishing that he had a broader range of interests. 

They turned around a corner when George huffed, “I simply asked a question, you know? No need to be so condescending, Mrs. smartypants. I am just more the practical type. It’s not my fault.” 

The group was getting closer to the starting place of the parade now, and more and more people joined them on their way. Many people they met on their way had rainbow flags, just like them. It was a very friendly and colorful sight. 

“You know, I actually have to agree with Ron. I mean, I know a bit about Stonewall. But I too, have questions. Like… why are there so many rainbow flags?” 

Fred, Lee, and Geraldine looked at each other. “Well, if they all have so many questions… who wants to tell them?” Lee asked. 

“I guess I’ll do it,” Fred answered, “I mean—they are my brothers. I couldn’t live with myself if I let them die uneducated.” He chuckled at his own joke. He pointed to a bus stop. “Let’s talk over there, it’s easier that way. I could also do with tiny cigarette.” 

Lee nodded to his husband’s words, “Great idea. I haven’t had a ciggy in—what? Two hours? If I don’t have one now, I’ll start having withdrawals.” 

Everybody chuckled, as this was so typical for Lee. He was the chain smoker in their little group and usually never seen without one. Two hours had to be a new record for him. 

Once they had reached the bus stop and all the smokers—everybody except for Geraldine—had helped themselves, Fred cleared his throat. “Well, anyway, Stonewall… Basically, it’s short for Stonewall riots or Stonewall rebellion and got it’s name from the Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village, New York. That bar was owned by the Mafia, but it still catered to members of the LGBTQ community, mostly to the poorest and most marginalized. You know, like butch lesbians, effeminate men, male prostitutes…” 

“Drag Queens,” Geraldine interrupted him, “Don’t forget about the importance of people like Marsha P. Johnson. I always feel a certain pride when I think of them.” 

Fred nodded, “True. I was just going to give these two a quick rundown on the matter, so we can go on, though. Well, anyway. In the early morning hours of the 28th of June 1968 the police raided the bar, and became violent. The patrons of the Stonewall in other inhabitants of Greenwich Village fought back and—to make a long story short–the gay liberation front and everything we have managed to achieve today grew from there. 

“Of course, it was not always easy. There was discrimination everywhere after Stonewall, and there still is discrimination today, of course, but this is still important enough to be remembered everywhere even now. Because it was the first time the community actually fought back. So, this is what we are on our way to celebrate and that’s also why it’s so important to me that you, my dear brothers, know at least some of it.” He playfully poked George, “I mean, I don’t want anybody to say I’d leave my own twin in the dark on this important stuff.” Having finished his speech, he lit another cigarette for himself, as the first one had gone out. 

After a while, when everybody had smoked up and was ready to go on, however, Ron said again “Yes, and that’s all very well and it answers George’s question perfectly, but it still doesn’t answer mine. Why is the rainbow flag the symbol of the LGBTQ movement?” 

“Oh, that,” Geraldine answered, while they were already, “I guess I am not a hundred percent certain about that either, and I am not sure if it’s just an urban legend, but as far as I know the Stonewall riots coincided with the death of Judy Garland. You know, she was a big gay icon, so a lot of people were in the City for her funeral, and they had brought rainbow flags to commemorate Judy’s famous song ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’. I might not be completely right there, though, because—like I said—I am not totally sure if this isn’t just a legend.”

“If it is, it is a beautiful legend. I like it a lot. It is —wholesome, somehow. But I have also heard it before, so I think that there has to be something to it,” Angelina said, with a warm smile on her face. 

The stories they had just been told, about the Stonewall riots and the Rainbow flag, put everyone quite a different mood than they had been in before. They were still cheerful and ready to party, but now even George was able to appreciate the importance of Pride Parades. “From now on, I’ll be here every year as an ally,” he said, just when they had reached their goal and were swallowed by the colorful crowd, and Fred smiled at his twin brother. Right now, he was very fond of George.


	29. Coffee Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Patil twins are as different as can be: One is beautiful and popula (Parvati)r, the other is a nerd who couldn't care less about how she looks like (Padma).  
> Because of an evil prank somebody plays to Padma in school, Parvati decides to set her sister up with the girl she likes but is too shy to talk to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 29th Prompt: Coffee Shop (AU)
> 
> Pairing: Parvati Patil (pretending to be Padma) / Cho Chang

Parvati and Padma Patil were identical twins — and yet they were as different from each other as it was possible to be. Parvati was the more popular one. She was part of her High School’s cheerleading team and newly elected Head Girl of Hogwarts High School for Gifted Teenagers. She was also very pretty and could have had a boy on each finger if she had wanted to. She was also a very fashionable girl, who loved to dress well. 

Her twin sister, on the other hand, although every bit as pretty, hid her good looks behind giant horn-rimmed glasses and old, hand-me-down dresses. She was a member of the chess club and the science project group and could talk about boring stuff like comic books all day long. She would, however, be instantly lost in any socially challenging situation. And that, at least in Parvati’s opinion, was the problem. 

For the past two months or so now, her sister had had a part-time job at a small café. Padma hoped to be accepted into Cambridge university once she graduated and was prepared to do what she could to help their parents pay for the tuition fees. This was yet another difference between the twins because Parvati much preferred Oxford and was perfectly happy to let her parents pay for it. The Patil’s owned a successful chain of Indian restaurants, so they were certainly wealthy enough to afford the education their daughters wanted, and Parvati was absolutely prepared to make the best possible use of this. 

So, it seemed that the Patil twins had little to nothing in common—but one thing they did share, and that was there love for each other. Despite all their differences, Parvati and Padma were the best of friends. It was therefore no surprise that, when Parvati noticed a very unflattering drawing of her sister pinned to Padma’s locker in school, she was livid. Somebody had written the words “Undesirable No. 1” and “frigid” on top of the drawing. 

As Head Girl, Parvati could not just let this slide. She had to discover who had done this to her sister and make sure the person was punished for it. But since this secret would not be easy to unveil, she decided to do something else for her sister in the meantime. She wanted to cheer Padma up, make sure—if possible—that her sister could make some first experiences in the field of romance. 

At first, Parvati did not know how to do this—but then a plan started to form. For two weeks now, Padma had been pining for a pretty girl which frequented the café where she worked. She had described this girl to Parvati as Chinese, always sitting at the same table in the corner with a book and always ordering hot cocoa and strawberry cheesecake. So far, Padma had been too shy to talk to her, except for taking her orders. 

One Friday afternoon when Padma had an off day, Parvati therefore asked her twin to borrow one of her dresses, pretending she liked it. She also took her own pair of glasses out of her desk drawer—even though she usually wore contacts—and put up her hair in the same messy bun her sister usually wore at work. In no time at all, Parvati was Padma’s spitting image. 

Parvati then went to the café, where it took her a few minutes to explain to the manager why she absolutely wanted to work on her off day. Eventually, however, the manager decided he needed her help after all, and so she was allowed to work the shift. She might have made a few mistakes, since she had never worked at the place before, but whenever somebody said something, she told them that she was simply distracted by one thing or another. 

Two hours into her shift, a beautiful Chinese girl entered the café. She wore a light summer dress and carried a book under her arm. She also went straight at the table where, as Padma had told Parvati, her sister’s crush usually sat. Parvati therefore supposed that this was the girl she was looking for, and found her suspicion confirmed when she took an order for a hot cocoa and a strawberry cheesecake from the table. 

As she sat the cup and plate down in front of the girl, she gave her a sparkling bright smile, while she tried to get the girl engaged in a conversation. “That book you are reading looks interesting. What is it?” she asked, assuming that this would be an attempt at flirting her nerdy sister might chose. 

“Oh, this? It’s A Brief History Of Time, by Steven Hawking. Have you read it? It’s so good,” the girl said, smiling back at her. 

Of course, Parvati had not read it. She wasn’t such a science nerd as her sister. Her own interests didn’t revolve around astronomy as much as around astrology, but of course she had heard about Hawking. She also knew that he was one of her sister’s heros, and so she decided to give an answer that was simply based on that information, “It’s been a while. Might have to reread it again. But once I have, I would love to discuss it.” 

The girl looked up at her, and even Parvati—though she usually thought of herself as completely straight—thought that she had beautiful eyes. She could understand, to some extent, what Padma saw in her. “I would love that as well. I usually don’t have anyone I can talk to about science and comic books and such like. You do like comic books, don’t you?” 

Parvati herself had no interest at all in the matter, but since comic books were one of Padma’s hobbyhorses, her answer was, “Oh yes, I absolutely do, I collect them. I…” 

At that moment, however, another customer called her away from the table and for the next thirty or so minutes she was kept too busy to chat with the girl. Only when she was called back to the table so the other could pay did they resume their conversation. “You know, we should meet here when you aren’t working. So we can talk about comic books and science,” the girl said to Parvati’s surprise, “I came in here every day these past two weeks because I hoped I’d be able to find the nerve to talk to you.” She blushed slightly. 

Yes! This had been what Parvati had been hoping for. She quickly agreed, “I would love to meet you. To be honest, I’d always hoped you’d talk to me. I am not working on Tuesday, so how does that sound to you?” 

The girl quickly agreed to Tuesday, and soon they were about to say goodbye, when Parvati suddenly remembered something, “You haven’t told me your name yet, you know? I am Padma. Padma Patil. And you are—?” She looked at her, this time with genuine interest. She at least wanted to be able to tell her sister the name of the girl she’d be dating. 

“Oh, I am Cho. Cho Chang. Nice to meet you, Padma,” the girl answered, before they quickly shook hands. Cho then left and Parvati finished the shift two hours later. 

On her way home, she was in high spirits and as soon as she entered the bedroom she shared with her twin, she beamed at Padma, “You have got a date on Tuesday, sis—and you can thank me later for it. But I’d strongly recommend you reread A Brief History Of Time before that date.”


	30. The Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horace Slughorn and Filius Flitwick are getting married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> July 1st Prompt: Wedding
> 
> Pairing: Horace Slughorn / Filius Flitwick
> 
> I intended to post this on June 30th, but work has kept me so busy that I just didn't manage it on time. I am sorry.

Would Mona be there? Would she be watching him in this happiest moment of his life?

As he stood there, looking at himself in the mirror on the day of his wedding, his mind wandered back to his late wife. She had died too soon to have seen the birth of the world they had both dreamed of, but he hoped that she would be watching him now. He knew that she would be happy. She had always supported him, just as he had always supported her.

They had met in the darkest of times when same-sex relationships had been made outlawed, just after the Second World War and Gellert Grindlewald’s reign of terror. So much magical blood had been spilled that the Ministry of Magic, the MACUSA, the German Ministerium für Zauberei, the Russian Министерство Магии and other governments worldwide had made homosexual practices punishable by death. For those who were found guilty, there was just one way to avoid the ultimate sentence—a ‘reeducation camp’, where the inmates were supposed to learn to be straight, useful members of society again. 

Of course, these camps had been utterly useless, because being gay was not a matter of education and being straight was not something you could learn. Starvation, thrashings, torture with the Cruciatus and the Imperius Curse, attempts at psychological manipulation — neither of these things had actually had the effect the camp authorities required, although many inmates had sooner or later started to pretend to be straight, so they would be able to walk free again. Filius had found it harder than most to get through the weeks he had spent at the camp. As he was part-goblin, the camp authorities hated him more than most of the other inmates and punished him harder. He had also fallen in love with the boy who slept in the bunker bed above his and knowing that they would never be able to be together was hard. 

Then, however, he had met Mona. She, too, was an inmate of the camp and wanted to get away from it. They had liked each other from the first moment on, because they had a lot of things in common—like a shared passion for music—so they had decided to keep each other safe and get each other out of camp. It had been Mona who had suggested that they got married, because that way they might be able to successfully convince the camp authorities that they were ‘cured’. It had worked, and two months later they got married in a small, private ceremony. Even though there had never been a romantic aspect to their marriage, it had been a good life—full of friendship and mutual support. 

They had always used separate bedrooms, of course, so both he and Mona could spend the nights with whomever they liked. This might have been an unusual kind of marriage, but it had worked for them. Filius still recalled the pain he had felt when Mona had died in 1968, just two months before the law which had controlled their lives had been abolished. 

When the Daily Prophet had reported this news, he had been overcome with emotion. He and so many others would finally be able to live free from fear, but it was too late for Mona. He remembered that, for some odd reason, he had felt the need to leave the newspaper cutting on Mona's grave. 

Thirty years later, in 1998, after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had been defeated, another wonderful change had come to the LGBTQ community of Great Britain. Minister Shacklebolt’s government had passed a new law which legalized same-sex marriages and gave them equal rights. 

When he thought back to his youth, Filius could hardly believe how far he had come. It still filled him with a deep wonder, that he would actually get married to his wonderful partner today. Once more, he wished that Mona would be here to see him in this glorious hour of happiness and triumph. 

There was a soft rapping at the door, and Minerva McGonagall entered. It was unusual to see her in a simple blue dress, but it suited her well. He himself was wearing the lavender-colored suit he and his fiancé had ordered at Madam Malkin’s a while ago. The two colleagues and friends smiled at each other and Minerva said, “Ready to go, Filius? I bet that Horace is already waiting for you.” Minerva would lead him down the aisle, as his parents had died many years ago and he had no other living relatives. 

He smiled back at her. “I am terribly nervous, but I also can not wait,” he replied, and soon they were on their way out of the castle and into the grounds, were the wedding would be held.

It was a beautifully warm day and the grounds were the best place to seat all the students of Hogwarts as well as the couple’s many friends. The sun was high up in the sky, birds were singing, it was just the perfect day for a wedding—and there was Horace, standing in front of an altar. He too, was wearing a lavender-colored suit and he looked handsome in it. 

Filius had eyes only for his partner and barely even heard the song the members of his frog choir were singing as he and Minerva were walking down the aisle and she handed him over to his soon-to-be husband. 

The ceremony began, the priest read a text Horace and Filius had chosen for this event, 1. Corinthas 13, “ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing...”

While the priest read out the pessage, Filius felt tears rolling down his cheeks, and Horace held his hand. Then, it was time for them to say their vows, and following a softly spoken “I do” from both partners, the priest told them to kiss each other. This time, Filius did not need to resort to his old standby of putting a Levitation Charm on himself so he could kiss his husband. Horace simply picked him up from the ground and they kissed each other with a fierce passion. 

At this moment, Filius did not wonder anymore if Mona was there. He knew that she was smiling at him and his husband, just like everybody else was smiling at them. Because how else could everything be so wonderful, so perfect, if not through protection and guidance from a higher place? 

Later that night—after the ceremony, after a delicious dinner—when he lay in his husband’s arms during their first dance as a married couple, as he felt his heart burst with love for this wonderful man, Filius found himself thinking once more that this had been the happiest day of his life. He was ready to face whatever the future held in store for him, as long as Horace was at his side.


End file.
